Saints Themselves
by ShaundiAndTheBoss
Summary: A collection of moments between Shaundi and the Boss.
1. Hell of a Wake Up Call

**Hell of a Wake Up Call**

"Release the Saints, gentlemen."

A pounding stabbed in his head. It seemed to drill through the very core of his brain from between his eyes, despite them staying closed. His head was heavy as were his eyelids, noticing only after he attempted to lift both. His blue eyes scanned the room, brows furrowed in their usual expression of anger. Beside him a soft grunt came from Shaundi's lips. Turning his head to look at her, his wrists tugged against the metal and rope restricting them both. It jingled violently against his still weakened strength. Her head was still lowered, her arms like his, tied against the back of chair, wrists handcuffed. Someone had taken her jacket, leaving her in her tank top.

The same pressure controlled Shaundi's mind, throbbing relentlessly. The words echoed through her ears in vibrations, not understood. She knew hangovers, this had to be multiplied by hundreds. Pushing through the discomfort she opened her eyes. Two men stepped forward. One moved behind the chair with keys and knife in hand; the other came to stand in front of her, his hand moving under her chin to grip her jaw and neck. He forcefully lifted her face, flashing a bright, LED light into her eyes. They adjusted to it soon enough, though she had to squint due to the intensifying pain.

"She's awake, sir."

_Swhffttt!_ The ropes around her bare arms were cut down by the blade behind her, dropping to the floor with a thud. She stared up at man who examined her, her upper lip rising in an annoyed scowl, yanking her face away from his fingers. The metal constraints around her wrists fell loose soon after. The back man moved behind the Boss to repeat the process, slicing the ropes off first.

Shaundi's hand swung up and into the light holder's neck, delivering a strike to his Adam's apple. He dropped the flashlight, choking instantly. Her nails pierced into his skin, pushing him to the ground. The second man now dropped his keys, coming toward her with the knife.

"In coming!" The Boss twisted his chair-locked body to the side, tripping the man's path enough to make him stumble. Shaundi turned, kicking the man's face. Her high heel jammed into his jaw, cracking it apart and ripping a dripping gash from cheek to mouth. He screamed and dropped the blade, falling in front of the Boss' chair and promptly getting his jaw completely broken off by a Saints brand sneaker. Shaundi picked up the keys, kneeling behind the Boss to unlock the cuffs. He stood, rubbing his wrists as he stepped forward. The choking man was still attempting to catch his breath, the sides of his neck leaking drops of blood from Shaundi's nail marks. The Boss' leg pounded into his chest in a heavy stomp. A loud _crck!_ ripped through the air as his ribcage collapsed.

_Clap, clap, clap._

Both Saints looked into the darkness of the large room. The Boss' lieutenant came to stand beside him now, tugging subtly on the back of her glimmering pants. A large man stepped forward, his merino sheep suit pinned by diamond cuffs. He stood at least 6 feet 7 inches and was clearly on some kind of major steroid. A foreign accent and slight lisp came through as he spoke. "Good morning, dear Saints."

"Who the fuck are you?" The Boss' head tilted slightly, both Shaundi and him holding their usual, menacing expressions.

"Arnold Cheraldeto. Your new partner, of course. Please, relax. I wish you both no harm."

"Then why the hell did we wake up drugged and tied up?" Shaundi asked pointing back at the chairs. Ropes and handcuffs rested by them on the floor. One was knocked over.

The man sneered, holding his hands out. "Would you have talked to me otherwise?"

"No, and we sure as hell won't be talking to you now." The Boss stepped forward, his fingers tightening into fists. A sea of_ clicks _spread throughout the front side of the room. He stopped, now noticing the silhouettes in the darkness.

"That wouldn't be very wise, Saint. You see, my men here aren't quite as fond of your little street gang as I am." He lifted his hand up to signal something. Rows of dim lights turned on across the room, exposing the 20 plus men surrounding the front of the oval shaped walls. All pointed loaded guns in their direction. Shaundi glanced back. She had a clear view of downtown, the city's lights at night shining brightly through wall length set of windows that made up the back of the room. She turned again, seeing the door behind two of the men. They blocked the only exit. Cheraldeto stepped behind a large desk, sitting on main seat and mentioning the two across him. "Please, sit."

The Boss didn't move, his eyes scanned the men around him. Shaundi leaned her weight on one foot, her hips tilting in her casual way of standing. Seeing their lack of movement, Cheraldeto's fingers swept forward, instructing his men as he lit a cigar. Two stepped out of the line, their fingers on set on triggers. Moving behind the Saints, they hesitated for a minute, silently deciding who should take who. One barrel pressed against each back.

"Move it, Saint. Take a seat."

The Boss reluctantly stepped forward to one of the chairs. Shaundi followed, taking her time. Her hips swayed with each step. The guard reacted by grabbing her shoulder and shoving her toward the free chair. She caught herself, turning to face him. Jumping back a few inches, his gun came up and pointed at her face. He was visibly shaken, hands trembling as he held the weapon.

"Touch me again and I'll rip your eyes out with my bare hands." She turned, pulling the chair out with her heel before taking a seat. Cheraldeto laughed heartily, clapping in amusement before gesturing for his men to get back in place. They followed orders.

"And that's what I'm here for, Mr. Saint!"

The Boss lifted a brow, glancing at Shaundi. "For Shaundi to rip your eyes out? That could be arranged." Shaundi agreed with a lean of her head.  
The man's deep laugh rang through the room again, his cheerful smile showing both top and bottom set of teeth as he met the leader's eyes. "No, no. For your breath taking lieutenant. I'm here to take Shaundi."

Shaundi's expression deepened. "...What?"

"You see, Saints. I've been noticing your brand for some time now. I've seen you take over the world of, how do you call it...marketing? Yes. You got the drinks, the shirts, the little cute toys," He laughed, bringing the cigar to his lips. His fingers snapped. One of his men leaned forward, lighting the cigar tip. He puffed air through; it exhaled as he spoke again. "But you see my biggest entertainment comes from the show _I Want to Sleep with Shaun_,-"

"It's _wanna_..." Her arms, like the Boss', were marked with bright red bruises from the ropes. They rested against her chair's arm rests, fingernails tapping against them.

"Yes, yes. Your show, they play it here, they play it there. They play it day, they play it night. Oh, excuse me. Behike?" Opening the box of cigars in front of him, he turned it to face the only two wearing purple in the room.

Shaundi ignored the question, looking elsewhere and crossing one leg over the other. The Boss stared down at the cigars for a second before his eyes lifted to Cheraldeto's. They stared at each other in silence before the Boss spoke.

"I don't know if it's because of your accent or that retarded ass lisp, but I didn't understand a fucking word you just said."

Cheraldeto threw his head back, howling his most outrageous laugh yet-then slammed the cigar case closed. The loud _BAM_ echoed against the walls. It didn't phase either. He stared at them, now completely serious with a hint of deep malice...then broke out into a grin again.  
"The show, it is well known all over the world. Mr. Saint, please, I do not want things to be difficult for us. I bring you and your lieutenant here to make business," Reaching in his suit's inner pocket he brings out a black pen and a handkerchief. His huge shoulders lean forward, towering over the desk as he writes. Leaning back up, he folds the handkerchief and slides it forward across the polished wood. Smirking at them, he holds his hands out to speak. "This is my offer to you. A generous one. An impossible one to refuse."

Neither boss or lieutenant were amused. Their backs rested against the chairs. Shaundi's foot swung gently up and down. The Boss slouched in his seat slightly in boredom.

Cheraldeto began to speak once again. "Please indulge me, partners. Consider my offer," His hand hinted toward the paper, the other brought the cigar to his lips. He inhaled the thick smoke in large puffs. "That is for the show. All production control and all money coming from it."  
The Boss' middle finger reached for the handkerchief's edge, flipping it open (and leaving his finger up for a few moments, facing Cheraldeto).

_2,300,000_

The Boss and Shaundi turned to each other, seriously at first. Both grinned, bursting into chuckles. The Boss leaned forward, his elbows resting against his knees. "This is a fucking joke, we get more than this in a day from Shaundi's residuals alone."

"Exactly my point, Mr. Saint. The show, it is good, but has the potential to be _prachtig_! Under my rule, it would be more _violence_, more_ drugs_, more _sex_. A little more Shaundi, a little less clothes, yes?" Shaundi's eyes narrowed, leaning to her left. He continued, grinning. "It _is_ an option to order my men into your city and simply _take_ everything you've worked so hard on. But as I said. I am a business man. If you are not pleased with the offer, I encourage you to make your own." The pen slid across the desk, getting caught by the Boss' hand.

It took a second before "Mr. Saint" crossed off the initial number, jotting something down underneath it. Leaning back, he showed the handkerchief to Shaundi first for approval. She read it, raising her brow and nodding. Both turned to face Cheraldeto, the handkerchief getting tossed in his direction followed soon after by the pen.

It landed inches in front of his hand, crumbled up. He flattened it, reading the second set of writing.

_FUCK OFF_

The Boss began to rise. The shuffle of guns aiming filled the room again, all guards ready to fire.

"Sit down, Saints."

"Fuck this, we were done with you long ago."

"Sit. Down." Cheraldeto signaled forward. The guns lifted higher. Shaundi looked at the Boss. He rubbed his eyes, grunting at the waste of his time. They sat down again. Cheraldeto's stare darkened. His cigar slid between his lips, the tip burning a bright flame with each inhale.

"You may be done with me, but I am not done with you. I'll have to ask the lady to take a second look at my first offer." He threw the napkin forward to Shaundi's chest. It fell to her thighs.

Shaundi stared down at the napkin, clenching her jaw as she faced its owner. Lifting it up, she threw back on his desk with enough force to knock over a pencil holder; pens and papers messed up across the surface. Her perfectly trimmed left brow lifted. "I'd like to extend you a counter-offer to suck my dick."

"I assure you, my dear, _my_ counter-offer is not so charitable. It involves you, a lot of guns, and a lot of your friends dying."

The Boss inclined forward a couple of inches, expressing his total approval of her answer. "Our _only_ offer involves going, to fuck, and then yourself. Stop wasting our time and open the door so we can go back to dealing with important shit. I'm starving."

The Boss stood, his chair knocking over behind him. Shaundi followed him as he made his way to the door. Cheraldeto's men tightened in front of it, their bullets ready to fire. An enormous pressure wrapped around Shaundi's already bruised arm. Cheraldeto forced her back, turning her around to face him by twisting her arm. The Boss stepped back, not getting very far before feeling two gun barrels press against each side of his neck. His shoulders straightened, rigorous, blue eyes locked forward.

Turning back to the male Saint, Cheraldeto smirked. "I can see why you keep her yours, Saint" His eyes moved back to Shaundi, devouring her legs, abs and chest until their eyes met again. "I bet she is a nice..._fit_."

"You know what I bet is a nice fit?" Shaundi looked up. Her shining platforms made her stand only inches shorter than he. She got near his face, her straight, white teeth clenched together. They showed as her upper lip rose in revulsion. "My _foot_ in your _ass_."

Cheraldeto's face turned a deep crimson. His eyes bulged out, nostrils flaring. His jaw began to quiver in anger, fingers tightening around her arm. Twisting it more, he shook his head. "Someone should have taught you some manners by now, woman." His free arm lifted, palm opened as it swung down toward her face.

The Boss' arms swung back, smacking the barrels pointed at him. They interwined, their handlers squeezing their triggers as their rifles crossed paths, shooting each other in the neck and face. Shaundi's hand reached back, swiping the knife previously used to cut their binding ropes from the back of her waistline, where she had initially stashed it after unlocking his handcuffs. The strength of her arm contradicted with Cheraldeto's, her forearm clashing against his incoming slap. Grunting, her hand slammed against the opposite side of his neck. The blade sliced through his skin easily, burying into the side of his throat. Blood spurted violently. She stared into his eyes as he dropped to the floor; they bulged for a different reason now. His grip held her in place still, now more desparately as he clinged to the last hints of life. Twisting her wrist, the blade rotated to a horizontal position allowing her to slit through the entirety of his neck. Under her his body fell lip and to the floor, his eyes rolling back as he took his last breath. She jerked her arm out of his clasp.

By the time Shaundi looked up a single shooter remained. His back was pressed against the wall, stumbling from side to side. It wasn't long before the Boss' fist crashed into his cheek. A string of bright red liquid gushed from his mouth. He hung in there for a second...then face planted into the floor to join the rest of his comrades. They all bled profusely. The desk had been shattered, walls stained with blood, bullet holes spread throughout and most of the men had their skulls crushed open.

"I gotta admit, I love when you do that." Shaundi's heels ticked against the floor, coming closer. He turned to face her, eyebrows rising at the sight. Behind her, the massive structure of a human laid in a pool of his own blood. He handed her one of the thrown around guns. She took it, blood covered a part of her arm and shoulder. The handkerchief previously used now rested on the ground by her feet. She leaned down and picked it up, attempting to wipe off some of the blood with it. The Boss moved toward Cheraldeto's body, his foot pushing his head to the side. His neck responded by squirting out more blood. Standing to move beside him, Shaundi tossed the handkerchief back down. It landed on Cheraldeto's chest.

"Alright, let's get the hell out of here before more of those fuckers-" A loud _thump_ came from the door as someone tried to push it from behind. Two bodies in front of it prevented a full opening. By the amount of back up heard behind the door, the blockage wouldn't last long. "Well, shit."

_THUMP!_ The door spread open wider this time, the bodies tilted forward to the floor. Shaundi lifted her rifle. "These bastards have got to be all over the fucking building, tell me you have a plan!"

"Uh...Sorta! Yeah!"

_THUMP!_ The door was one yank away from being fully opened now.

"Whaddaya thinkin', Boss?"

Bullets bursts through the air. She stumbled a few steps away from the Boss, the sudden noise catching her by surprise. The glass of the windows shattered as his bullets punched through it. The air of the city ventilated the room, blowing both of their hair back. It was colder due to the significant altitude.

"We jump!" Wrapping the Krukov's strap around his shoulder, he threw it around his back.

"..._What_?!"

"_JUMP!_ As far as you can!" The Boss charged forward toward the downtown lights.

_THUMPCRCK!_ The door bursts open. Shaundi threw the strap of her Krukov across her shoulder, sprinting to catch up to her boss. He propelled forward, his leg extending to its maximum length. She used the hook of her heel against the window's edge to lunge her thin figure further out. Bullets rang out behind them, attempting to catch them on the way out. They dove into the city; the cars beneath seemed miniature at this height.

Gravity caused the Boss to fall faster than Shaundi due to his weight. Gathering his thoughts, he tilted himself forward into a dive. It gave him more speed and shot him forward against the next building. His body expanded back to slow his fall. Reaching for his rifle, he aimed and shot down in a zigzag line through the row of windows preceding him and Shaundi. His body made contact with the skyscraper just under fifty floors above ground level. His limbs pounded against the surface, skin scraping and cutting as he tumbled down. He grunted, furiously attempting to catch a grip somewhere. Finally, his torso crashed against one of the shot out edges of the facility. He released a loud grunt. His head and chest pulsated inside out from the impact of the fall. _No time._

His body shot to the side, using only one of his hands to grope the ledge. The other extended in time to catch Shaundi. She flew into him, her fingers tugging at his clothes frantically as her body continued to slide down.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!" His body dropped fully, putting all strain on his left arm. The lowering gave his muscular arm a chance to wrap around Shaundi's slim waist. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and shoulders. "Got ya!" His brows furrowed, teeth held tightly together as he attempted to hold on; his bicep and triceps flexing under the Saints t-shirt he wore. His fingertips dug into the edge with enough force that it began to rip his nails from their beds. "Whoa shit! _Maybe not_!"

Despite his best efforts, the blood coming from some fingers began to make his grip slip, and eventually they were both falling again. Shaundi reached behind his back, gripping onto the weapon with both hands. His arm tightened around her as she let go of his neck, holding her against him as they both dropped through the next set of floors. She shoved the rifle into the next open level, both barrel and handle cautching against an edge. It anchored them to the side of the building with a violent jolt. The Boss winced as the strap cut into his chest, which he now hung by.  
"Good thinking..." He groaned.

"Hold still I'm gettin' up there." Tossing her rifle through the window first, her hands pressed against his shoulders. With one arm around her waist, his free hand wrapped around the back of her thigh, using his strength to lift her up as much as he could in this position. Her arms extended up, getting her hands over the edge. Her chest (now glistening with sweat) hovered inches in front of his face. The small breaths and grunts escaping her lips didn't help.

"The view from up here is _incredible_! Take your time," The tip of her heel dug into his hip, driving into his skin for assistance getting up; he winched. "Deserved! Okay!"

Pulling herself up enough, Shaundi's knee lifted over the edge and she rolled onto the main floor. The Boss followed as her weight lifted off him. His hand twisted back and gripped the Krukov's strap, pulling his entire weight up by it. The other hand gripped the ledge; the veins in his biceps protruding as he pulled himself up. By the time Shaundi turned to him he had pulled himself up and laid next to her. Their legs hung over the edge, latex purple tights with shining boots and jeans with purple and white sneakers dangling from one of the city's highest structures.

The Boss stood first, picking up his weapon with one hand and helping Shaundi up with the other. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. You look like hell..." She responded, settling into the balance of her high heels. His shirt was torn, cuts and bruises decorated him all over. Her brows furrowed as she studied his injuries, bringing the rifle up to rest against her shoulder. She also had cuts down her arms, the star tattoo on her hand bled from a scrape that ran through it.

"I'm good. Let's go."

A small group of business men and women in the room stared at the bloody Saints, who absentmindedly walked past them to the hallway's elevator.

"_Ugh_, fuck!"

He turned to face her. "What?"

"The new Genki episode was tonight. We missed it."

"Ah fuck."


	2. One For All

**One For All**

Her fist pounded the edge of the couch repeatedly with gentle force.  
"You know what I hate? You know what I _fucking hate_?" Her voice was strained. She got up now, following him who was already pacing back and forth.

He'd been talking, mumbling words that were tripping over hers. Finally, the Boss stopped as he threw his hands up. "What? What, Shaundi? _What_?" It was an hour into his morning, 58 minutes into the start of this argument. "_What_ do you hate?" He stepped back, turning away from her. His calloused hand came up, rubbing his eyes after looking out of the windows. Partly to shield the light. He had a headache. She had begun talking without waiting for him to finish.

"I hate that you always have to do shit like this. I hate that you always, _always_ do." He turned around, pointing a finger at her. His eyebrows were furrowed casting a shadow over the bright blue of his eyes. Through his own set of gritted teeth, his eyes locked to hers.

"Don't forget who you're talking to, Shaundi."

Shaundi threw her head back, rolling her eyes as her mouth opened slightly. _This is ridiculous. _The light above caught her eyes, making the moisture in them more visible. It wasn't often she felt this bad. His hand lowered and he, too, sighed in the same exasperation as his hands rubbed his entire face. His jaw unclenched, his voice dropping strictness by an almost unnoticeable level. He held his arms out as he talked, shrugging off his tension.

"So I went by myself. Big shit. Relax, I'm a big boy." Once again he turned slightly, focusing on his hands as he ripped off the neon club bands from last night - avoiding her eye contact. Taking out his phone, he began to check the overload of messages from the morning alone.

"No, no, _no_. Don't tell me to relax," she looked at him again with scrunched together brows that lifted as she spoke. Her hand pointed to the side with each word. "Going without us, without _telling_ us. You _need_ to tell us, Boss. You _could_ have gotten yourself _killed_-"

"But I didn't."

"But you could have."

"_ENOUGH!_" Turning back around, his arm swung across in a forceful motion. Shaundi stumbled back a few steps, blinking as her eyes widened. The phone flew out of his hand and across the room, smashing against a wall. She folded her arms together, regaining composure as he spoke. "I took care of a problem! _What_ is the _matter_ with you? _What is the matter_? I'm tired of being fucking doubted!" His teeth clenched together, spitting out the words as his foot moved forward and kicked the small, glass coffee table in his bedroom. The magazines and video games that laid on top of it fell as the table flipped over, its glass shattering the moment his foot made impact. Once again his lieutenant jumped out of reflex, but she now stared at him as he spoke. His own hand went out, a finger pointing down at the ground as he continued. "I did it because I _fucking had to_! It's what _we do_, it's what we've_ always done_! I know what I'm doing, Shaundi."

She stepped back again, chuckling sarcastically as she looked up. Again the moisture around the rim of her green eyes sparkled, quickly taken out of sight as she turned to face the muted TV. Her profile was facing him as he continued. "This is what I do, Shaund. Don't you fucking trust me anymore? As long as you've known me, have I ever, _ever_, let any shit happen to you? I'm doing it for Gat, for you and for the _Saints_-"

She turned to face him, pressing her finger against his chest. It was hardened by muscle, still she pushed her glistening purple nail against it through the material of his matching shirt. Her voice had changed slightly from when they were younger, and now during moments like these he could notice more. It was pain and experience that made it deeper, edgier, though at times when they were high enough he was reminded what it was like to hear her as a teenager again. This time her own jaw was locked, the words fading in and out with anger, fear and sorrow. Her eyes turned hazel in this light, perhaps in this mood, but they confronted his as she spoke in that intense manner of hers.

"Don't you _dare_ tell me it's for me, _don't you fucking dare_." She stepped back again, hands dropping by her side. Whether it's because she remembered her rank or needed a second was hard to tell, still in her quick silence their eyes continued their competition. Finally, her purple lips parted open, followed by the same stern voice behind each word. "You could have_ fucking died_ there. You've done some crazy shit before but you can't do it now-"

"_Why not?_"

"Because you _can't._ If you did _this_ for_ me_," She attempted a chuckle as she looked around the room, littered with broken glass and thrown items from their own special form of communication.

"I'd rather have you, here, without all of this. I thought we were done with the worrying. And maybe it's because of this new _asshole_ lifestyle that made us all _complete dicks_ but I thought we wouldn't have to deal with death, poverty, the worries of what we were _before_ we were Saints. The Saints are_ family_, _my_ family. We lost one of our own and that only means we could lose more. We should have stuck together in that plane and we _need_ to stick together if we're going to keep all of_ this_, because without you guys_ this_ isn't worth it, Boss..." She sighed as the back of her hand came up to her mouth to rest against her lips. Her voice returned to the innocence it carried when they first met, making the thoughts in his head about possible, smart ass responses fade. She was serious. She was hurting. Still staring at her, he swallowed the last bit of saliva he had gathered and lost the eye contest. Her stare was too much, too heavy for him to hang on to. For a quick second he looked down before remembering who he was, what he did for his pride. Quickly catching her eyes again, he did his best to subtly stand up straighter, stick his chest out and broaden his shoulders.

"Would it still be worth it to you, Boss?" She stared back, her own body straightening up. Both hands went to her exposed waist as her chin tilted up for a better look at him. His jaw locked as the question confronted him, knowing what she was asking. Shaundi stared him down as he did with her. His expression was strong and determined as always, and with his gaze on hers he didn't bother trying to gather his words before opening his lips to speak.

The door swung open, with a loud bang as it crashed against the wall behind it. Both Shaundi and the Boss' fists lifted, clashing against each side of the intruder's face. Getting knocked to the floor with a heavy _crack_, a new recruit laid there with blood spurting from his nostrils. The eye on the Boss' side had already began to bruise and swell deeply. On the other a large cut bled, skin that was torn apart by one of Shaundi's rings. He couldn't have been more than sixteen or seventeen and he was now whimpering loudly in pain, squirming on the floor. From the living room, Pierce's laugh exploded to the bedroom. Both Saints leaned down, Shaundi attempting to make sure he was alright by checking his nose while the Boss grabbed his hand, yanking him up with a simple "The fuck you doing running in here? You good? You're good, right? Yeah, you're alright."

Pierce laughed still, calling up to them. "Hey! Nobody told me we moved the "_lap dance room"_ room down the hall!" His obnoxious laughter filled the halls. The other Saints laughed too. "Man! _Wooh_! That shit ain't gettin' old anytime soon!"

"Fuck you, Pierce." Practice makes perfect and both had enough practice saying that together by now they were in unison.

"Damn. You okay?" She tilted his head still to study the broken cartilage. Opening his eyes, the recruit looked at her in the midst of whimpers.

"...Shaundi?" His mouth hung wide open, blood spilling unto his lips, down onto his tongue.

Staring back, she smiled and chuckled as her brows furrowed. "Yeah. Hey, how's it goin', man? Aside from the whole broken nose thing..." His eyes widened, red mouth hanging open more as she spoke to him.

"I-It's going pretty, pretty, I mean, fanta-groovy, it's going great, Shaundi..." His stuttering splattered a few drops of diluted blood onto her tank top. She looked down at it, then back at him with a smile. "Groovy, huh?..." she repeated. The recruit looked down, noticing the blood also and would have probably apologized if it hadn't been for the hypnotizing cleavage she showed.

The Boss smirked, taking the guy by the shoulders. "C'mon, young blood. Let's get you cleaned up so you can come romance the hell outta Shaundi."  
As they headed out of the door, the recruit looked back at her. "B-bye, Shaundi!" His red stained teeth showed as he grinned, eyes never leaving her until the door frame blocked his view.

Shaundi smiled back at him with a small wave, a smile that continued even after they both went out of sight and her eyes traveled down to the purple carpet. Taking the conversation into her logic, her eyes closed and she took a deep breath in, then out.

"Shaundi."

Opening her eyes again, they lifted at the sound of his voice. She stared at him for a second as if trying to figure out if he what it was he wanted. He had to admit, from the moment he met Shaundi he found this look adorable. Her eyebrows lifted and eyes widened in amusement, her full lips serious and straight.

"I'm heading out for some food."

She nodded, her expression fixing itself by closing her lips and relaxing her eyebrows into their idle state. He caught her as she licked her lips, speaking before she had the chance.

"You eaten today? Wanna come with?" His regular expression of calm sternness stayed. They focused on each other for a moment before she spoke.

"Hell yeah, I'm starving." She stepped forward and quickly grabbed her previously set down 45 Shepherds. Spinning them to the barrel, she tucked them against her spine under the tight waist band of her pants. He did the same to his 45s, picking up one of the AR-55s from his collection as they both walked toward the door.

"Alright," _Cckt, ktt._ He snapped the rifle back into place, the ammo inside it loaded in and ready to fire. "Let's go get some food."


	3. Mark of a Saint

**Mark of the Saint**

Shaundi's thin arms wrapped around his muscular neck from behind the couch, her elbows leaning on its edge as she tilted her body forward. Her head cocked to the side to look him in the eye and he returned the gesture. His serious expression contradicted her smile. She stared at him, the dark purple smokey eye make up around her eyes making her gaze seem dimmer than it should. _It has to be this sultry, caring quality_, he always thought, _that makes Shaundi so appealing to men_. She smiled wider after subtly licking her lips, snapping him out of the trance of sedated thoughts he was in. He glanced down at them, then back into her eyes. The delicacy in her voice was amplified by her low tone, seeming to him she wanted to keep this a secret between them in spite of the fact they were the only two in the penthouse. Still, this wasn't a whisper, nor was it a seduction for information. _This is just Shaundi._

"You're a fucking psychopath," she told him. He turned away from her in the slightest, her arms gave him a small shake. "But you're my psychopath."

Her comment caused both corners of his lips to lift. Her own pressed against his cheek in a soft kiss that lasted shorter than the time it took him to process it. The Boss' eyes turned to look at her as she pushed herself back up and away from the couch.

She walked away now, the shining, purple latex pants glimmering as the city lights entering from the windows of the penthouse reflected off of them. Black platform boots took perfected steps toward the counter, her hips curving from side to side with each. They did this naturally, even when she wore flat shoes. His muscles ached as he sat there, watching her as she moved.

"Where you headed? I'll go with you." He attempted to pull himself to his feet, the ripping sensation spreading through out his ribcage again.

"Oh, no, no, no. Sit down." Wincing, the pain forced him to follow her order. His strength gave way in the middle of standing, making him fall the rest of the way back against the velvet couch cushions. "I'm gonna let you rest, Boss. I have to go take care of some shit I've had our boys on."

Taking a minute to recuperate, he closed his eyes and leaned his head against the couch. In the empty room, he heard the jingle of Shaundi's keys and the clicking of her handgun as she readied it. The routine rhythm of her heels followed, their sound heading toward the door and away from him. His eyes opened, turning to her.

"Shaundi," He breathed out, his brows still furrowed from the discomfort.

His eyelids were half shut by now. The drug was doing its job. She turned back to look at him. He wanted to tell her not to go. Usually, he wouldn't have minded. _She knows how to take care of herself_. Still, in these moments where he couldn't even stand, he felt helpless knowing _if_ she needed help he'd not be there. By the time he'd _get_ there, some serious shit could go down. Though he trusted all his Saints, he had always trusted himself with bigger matters and learned to depend on not much from anyone else. The Boss straightened up, his right hand going to the left ribcage to add pressure against the pain.

"Be careful."

The smile she would have normally responded him remained hidden as she observed the sincerity in his voice. It wasn't often she heard it and after what happened to Johnny, this wasn't just something he was saying to fill the silence between them. Finally, her lips broke into a collected smile.

"Always, Boss. I'll see you in a while."

He nodded back at her. She could see he was nearly gone by the way his smile went to its fullest. She smiled also, laughing lightly and walking backwards to keep her eyes on him. The last thing he saw before fully passing out against the couch was her smile. The last thing she saw before closing the door behind was his cheek, stamped with her purple kiss mark.


	4. Save the Babe

**Save The Babe**

Another small creak came from the darkness. The first had woken her. She kept her eyes closed, her breath regulating as she listened to the what was suppose to be the emptiness of her penthouse. The deep silence would be interrupted by unusual ticks that were getting closer to her bedroom; a room whose only trace of light was the purple glow from the overhead dimmers. Her hand slid further under the pillow, its movement tracing against her resting cheek through the material.

_Tkctk._

_Oh shit._

Her leg swung up from under the covers, clashing against the weapon holder's. He fell to his knees as she lifted herself up, grabbing onto the back of his hair for support and slamming his face against her nightstand. The glass broke on impact. The handgun that he aimed at Shaundi's head seconds before was now going off repeatedly, randomly, until it no longer could, its bullets desperately attempting to hit something. They revived the room with light and sound, their holes penetrating the wall. The barrel of the GDHC .50 she kept under her pillow now pointed in his direction. She squeezed the trigger, shooting a single bullet against the back of his head. Blood, chunks of brain and skull splattered against the shattered nightstand and wall. He immediately went limp, falling to the floor; the purple rug absorbed the growing pool of blood forming around his head.

Shaundi lifted her phone from the bed, reaching over and flipping every light switch she could as she stepped past the fresh corpse. The penthouse brightened all through out, everything from TVs to music speakers coming to life. She noticed the two bright red drops on the phone's screen as it turned on. Crouching down, she wiped it clean against the dead man's suit before bringing it back up to her ear. Her shoulder pressed it against the side of her face, giving her a free hand to search through his pockets.

It rang four times before a male voice came through. It was low, dragged out and slurred. She figured it was one of the random guys from the crew that stayed from the night's party.

"...Hello?"

"Hey, it's Shaundi, listen-"

"_Whoa!_ Hey girl, you should have stayed at the party, it got _sooo_ crazy when the strippe-"

"_Hey!_ Pay some _fucking_ attention!" That shut him up. She pulled out a wallet from the back pocket, flipping through it. Cash. Tossed aside. Credit card. Tossed aside. Business card. She stuffed it in her chest, under her spandex sports bra. "Tell the Boss I'm coming over. Some asshole just tried to put a bullet through my head while I was sleepi-"

The bang of the front door getting shot open echoed through the rooms. Rising to her feet, Shaundi turned and directed the gun toward the opened bedroom door where the sound of approaching footsteps came from down the hall.

"I better see some boys in purple coming by here _real_ fucking soon." She hung up.

An Asian female ran into the bedroom, getting slammed by the door as Shaundi kicked it from behind. She stumbled from the hit, the bullets from her pistol decorating the carpet as the Saint held onto her wrist and forced the weapon down. Shaundi's elbow struck back, colliding with the woman's nose and mouth in a loud _break_. Stunned, the unknown female dropped her gun and held onto her bleeding face. She staggered back. Shaundi turned to her, lifting the GDHC. Behind the target, her green-brown eyes caught the sight of a man down the hall pointing an SMG at her.

"...Damn."

A parade of bullets rang through the air, overriding the music playing through the speakers and the faint talking from the flat screens around the penthouse. Shaundi grunted, gritting her teeth as she ducked behind the female. The woman's body shook violently as the friendly fire punched through her flesh. Shaundi's arm extended forward as the body shield toppled over in defeat, concentrating her gun. She pulled the trigger three times, the gun's slide jerking back with each recoil. Two in the chest, one in the neck. _Not bad._

Her hand pushed against the floor, legs flexing under purple short shorts as she stumbled to her feet and down the hall. The keys to her Torch laid on the kitchen counter from the night before. From the living room she could hear scurrying feet and shit being knocked over. The kitchen had a direct view to and from it. Her bare feet stepped on the cold, grey marble floor, reaching for the set of silver keys. Defined shots rang out when she came into sight. Her barrel pointed and shot as she slid down the floor, taking cover behind the counter with keys and weapon in hand. A grunt came from the area, followed by a thud.

_One down._

Her eyebrows lifted, eyes widening as the refrigerator doors in front of her got blasted with rifle fire milliseconds after getting out of its path. The usual strand of brown hair that hung down her forehead was thrown across her eyes as they focused again. She pressed her back and head against the counter to think for a moment, her pony tail pushing up against it. From the separate rhythm of bullets she estimated two shooters left. They were relentless, shooting with no breaks between them. When one would reload, the other would shoot. The rubble of the counters landed near her in small, dusty scraps; close to her pedicured feet and over her head and shoulders. She didn't know how long it had been since the call was made but guessed it could have not been more than a minute or two. Either way, if they sent this many people for one person they were certain to send more until the job was done. She knew this by now. Her delicate fingers gripped the .50's handle as she turned around to face the living room, resting on one knee. She strained to get an idea of their location in the room by the sound of their shots. By now their bullets sprayed throughout the kitchen, hitting anything they could.

Shaundi's arm emerged from the side of the counter, her firm grip on the gun steadying the shot. Two of her bullets shot into the man's chest, making him scream and tumble back onto one of the couches. Sparks surrounded her as she twisted back behind her hiding spot, bullets from the remaining rifle taking her place and damaging anything they could.

They stopped suddenly, the man's footsteps coming closer for a better shot. Stepping around the counter sharply, his bullets destroyed the area where she had been hiding, tearing into the marble and nothing more. From the opposite side, Shaundi lifted herself with gun in hand. Her shot blasted through the left side of his collarbone, shattering its bone. She pulled the trigger again.

_Kkct._ She tried again. _Kkctt. _The GDHC only held eight a round. He stared at her for a second, taking in the situation.

She looked down at the gun in disbelief. "...Seriously?"

His healthy arm attempted to lift the rifle as fast as his wound would let him. It wasn't fast enough. Shaundi threw empty pistol. It collided near his bleeding gunshot hole as she jumped over the counter. Using her arms to lift her body, her legs sprung out in a powerful kick to his chest. The man huffed and shrieked in pain, slamming back against the opposite edge of the counter and against the sink. She landed in front of him as the rifle came up, both his and her hands on it in a struggle to control aim and trigger. Grunting, her knee came up to clash against his thigh. The surging pain of her kick sent him tumbling down. She ripped the weapon from his grip with her left hand, the right forming a fist that drove into the side of his face. It knocked him down further. He managed to look up only to be met by stern, sultry, green eyes and the bullets of his own rifle.

She looked around the room. It was a complete fucking mess.

A rhythmic buzzing isolated itself in the recent silence. She stepped forward a bit, her head tilted up to stare at the penthouse windows as the roar grew louder. She recognized it now, her jaw dropping slightly as a blinding white light lowered itself. It danced around the inside before focusing on her, forcing her to bring her hand up to shield her squinted eyes from the extreme brightness. The black helicopter hovered, leveling itself with the penthouse floor. Ropes from its sides fell onto her balcony, the machine guns strapped to the chopper pointed forward. Looking down, she now saw the red lasers that were pointed directly at her abdomen and chest, crawling up to her head.

"Oh my_ fucking God_..."

The storm of gunfire ruptured all at once, mutilating the penthouse's interior faster than a wildfire. The glass exploded, bouncing up and shattering one last time as it hit the floor. Shaundi threw herself down, keeping her head low under the falling debris and exploding lights overhead. Holding on to the rifle she stumbled up into a crouch, making her way from behind the damaged counter to one of the thin wall panels and closer to the door. Looking across, she noted the red lasers scattering together on each side of the main, bullet ridden wall. Their closest shot to her as of now.

"Oh, FUCK YOU AND YOUR _PRICK SNIPERS_!" Her screams drowned in the seemingly never-ending series of bullets.

A whistle rang through out the air. The collision of the RPG rocket against the chopper was marked by a ear piercing _bang_; a decent difference in sound and mood. _The Saints are here._ The machine guns slowed as the wings became unsteady. The red dots flickered, sniper lasers blinded by the smoke. She took the opportunity, looking over the panel's edge. The aircraft swerved vehemently in mid air. It had unloaded more of its men onto her level and they were now charging in. The chopper caught fire. She pressed behind cover again, tucking her head and shutting her eyes as she braced herself. The aircraft's explosion sent shocking waves through out the area, lighting up the night sky like a giant flash bang. Its impact was strong enough to knock down most of the assholes running in.

A high pitch ring stabbed through both of her ears. She blinked a few times. Another woman crossed the corner on Shaundi's right side, both coming face to face. Shaundi kicked up the SMG before it could be aimed, the top of her foot striking against its heavy metal. The remaining 8 bullets in Shaundi's clip emptied into the woman's stomach rapidly, some piercing completely through. A man ran forward from her left.

Instinctively, Shaundi jammed the thin barrel of the empty assault rifle into his neck. It stabbed through. He heaved in pain and loss of breath as she yanked it out and doubled over to his death soon after. Another man followed him almost directly. She turned her elbows sharply, ramming the metal butt into the side of his head until his skull cracked under the pressure. They were screaming between each other now; random shit in some language she didn't bother to recognize at the moment.

The woman's body laid still, her weapon still wrapped around her shoulder. Shaundi crouched and began tugging on the now unused SMG as two men ran in front of her from her left. Gritting her teeth, she loosely pointed the constricted gun in the right direction and pulled the trigger. Both mens' chest were ripped apart with the succession of extremely rapid fire. They fell to the ground as her gun began the _tct,tct,tct,tct,tct_ rolling of an empty mag.

A third man walked in front of her. He was young, probably new to the scene. Their eyes met. She could tell by the glimmer in them that killing her would mean reaching the fucking jackpot. He lifted his SMG, his target marker aiming perfectly between her eyes.


	5. Save the Babe II

**Save The Babe II**

"Honey. I'm_ home_!"

His voice was always loud enough to catch anyone's attention, anywhere. It was a voice she was used to hearing under this kind of hectic environment. The young member of this team, whatever this team was, turned at the sudden joke. It caught him by surprise, taking his gun's focus away from Shaundi. His chest was blasted through by the multiple bullets of the Boss' shotgun, their strength sending his body flying back and onto the floor inches from Shaundi. She leaned over, taking the TEK Z-10 from his dead hand.

The Boss aimed his shotgun around the living room as he walked through, pulling the trigger at every moving asshole wearing a suit. The shots rang out in echoing, singular bangs. Shaundi watched the red dots survey the room, heading in his direction.

"Boss! They got snipers!"

He trusted her words, throwing himself forward into a roll behind her couch. She pushed herself up, ducking as she ran behind the couch and next to him. He turned to her, throwing the Grave Digger to the floor. He pulled out his set of dual Shepherds from the waistband of his basketball shorts. Raising his eyebrow, he grinned and readied his pistols. "Did you miss me?!"

She ignored the question, ducking further as lines of submarine ammo flew inches over their heads. "What hell took you so long?!"

They both lifted up, resting their elbows against the edge of the couch. He took the left and she the right, shots heading toward the roof tops. Some lasers faded as their gunners died, others simply wavered from the disruption. As their triggers loosened under empty magazines, they sunk down again to reload, having to scream their conversation through the bombardment.

"Did your exes finally form a gang?!"

"Right! I wouldn't date half these bastards, even if I _was_ baked!" Shaundi tossed the SMG forward. The Boss handed her one of his guns. He took out two new magazines, tossing one in the air.

"Just half?!"

"Don't be a dick!" She caught it, the keys jingling in her hand as she released the old and slid in the new. _Cckt, ktct!_

He did the same, locking his eyes to hers and yelling over the ongoing gunfire. "Stay down! I'm takin'em out!"

"How the hell you gonna get good aim?! They're a building away!"

"Easy! I'll run out to the balcony, get a good shot, take out these snipers, then we move!"

She gripped onto his cotton sweater, tugging him back. "Wait, what?! What if you get fucking _shot?!_"

"Then you come out and _defend my fucking honor_!" His hand gripped the slider, yanking it back. It met him with a familiar _tctk, tct!_

"Oh! Great!" She did the same to hers, smiling sarcastically as he readied himself to jump out._ "_I_ love_ when I_ can't tell_ when if you're joking!"_  
_

Explosions ruptured unexpectedly, three back to back. Both leader and lieutenant looked up in surprise. The rooftops were now in flames, the concrete from their helipads cracked into huge chunks that fell stories below. Faint whistles of rockets cut through the sound of crackling flames as more RPG ammo destroyed the buildings. Shaundi's brow lifted, nodding.

"_That_ works, too! I like their plan! You know, something that _didn't_ involve us possibly dying!"

"Third Street's here!" The Boss stood, noticing the spatter of drying blood that coated the purple decorations in the room. It dripped down the posters of the Saints. The main TV remained up on the wall, the only thing untouched throughout the entire setting. It played the usual late night reruns of _I Wanna Sleep with Shaundi_.

The Boss watched for a second. "Damn, that show really is "bulletproof fun"...Let's move!"

They jogged side by side out the door and down the level's hallway, making their way to the elevators. The windows at the end of the halls lit up periodically from the street war outside. The metal doors split, allowing them access.

The elevator began to descend, a calm melody playing through the speakers. Both Saints were panting, their eyes glued to the screen on top of the door as it read down the number of floors in silence. Shaundi's hair fell over her eyes more now. Her chest synchronized with her breaths, lifting up and down. Sweat created a shine that spread from her collarbone to her cleavage. She had small drops of blood on her arms, abs and legs, which were exposed more than usual due to her attire. He noticed this early on, speaking while keeping his eyes forward.

"You shoulda really brought a sweater or something. It's really cold out tonight."

She slowly turned to stare at him, her mouth gaping in disbelief.

_Ding._

He lifted his gun, sliding through the doors as they parted.

She rolled her eyes and followed. The soles of her feet met the concrete of the underground parking garage, her skin reacting to the night's cold by breaking out in goosebumps. As she exhaled, she could see her breath turning to vapor in front of her.

He turned back to her. "See, I told ya."

It was the first time she noticed his outfit. His basketball shorts were a normal part of his sleepwear. The kicks weren't. Neither was the black sweater; she recognized it as merchandise from _IWSWS_. It read '**PARTNER IN CRIME**' in bold, white letters. The show's logo, as well as the Saints', was stamped on top; Shaundi's signature and purple kiss mark at the bottom.

"Glad _you_ had time to get _your_ shit on. Get in the car I'll drive us to HQ."

The car's engine roared as she started the ignition. Shifting to reverse, her foot punched into the accelerator. The tires screeched, burning their mark into the ground as the car jerked back, forcefully throwing itself forward into drive. The Torch sped to the exit of the lot and toward the street, turning abruptly as Shaundi's hands jerked the wheel. She maneuvered the car, swerving between the shooting army of Saints and past the burning remains of the chopper. Building debris covered the road, small pieces of glass and fire embers still rained down. The side of her penthouse building had a large gash running down from floor to floor, traces of fire still surrounding some parts of it.

"PR's gonna have a fucking field day with this one."

"Fuck it, that's why we pay them." he responded. "How are you, Shaundi?" Something pulled inside her chest when he spoke her name.

"I woke up to a fucking gun pointed at my face, how the hell do you _think_ I feel?" Taking a deep breath, her eyes scanned the rear view mirror. The destruction was clear by the overwhelming amount of smoke and fire. Shots continued to ring in the distance, now accompanied by multiple sirens around Steelport all heading in one direction. She wondered how long it would be before anyone noticed their speeding car. Her eyes turned back to the road, passing the few people still out this late.

"Yeah, welcome to my world! Hang on a second," The electronic window lowered and he lifted his body off the seat. His torso leaned out of the frame, the wind blowing his black hair forward violently. She turned her head back, looking through the back windshield. A speeding, silver dot was quickly approaching the Torch. The Boss spoke over the wind, both hands on the Shepherd as he concentrated. "Keep it steady, Shaundi!"

"Jesus, what the hell's the matter with thes-" The back glass shot out. Her car's metal dented in, paint scraping off around the bullet holes that were now being shot through. She gripped the wheel, keeping their path straight as he had instructed and ignoring her initial instincts to turn a corner. His own bang finally came, the bullet slicing through the air until it reached the driver's head. Tires screeched, swerving behind them before crashing into a near by fire hydrant. Water shot out and toward the sky. The Boss dropped back into the passenger's side.

"Good shot, Boss."

"Thanks." He opened the glove compartment, searching inside it. The aviator sunglasses he left in her car before were there. He slid them out and put them on. The car turned a sharp corner. He held on to the door's grip. "It's too early for this shit..."

"Especially after last night. My headache kills."

He nodded in agreement, turning to look behind the car. Nothing. "It's like they sent an entire army after you tonight. Why go ape shit after one person. Especially you."

"...Thaa..nks..?"

"Someone really wanted an autograph."

"I get the washed out "kill them while they sleep" thing, but was the_ helicopter_ necessary?"

"Hell of a plan B."

"That first son of a bitch sneaked in pretty easily. The the hell happened to the boys that had the lobby tonight?"

"Either shot or about to be when I see them."

The huge building loomed ahead, the top floor shining bright purple in the cityscape. The Torch pulled onto the main street, swirving down the hill into the parking garage. Shaundi parked her car across two spaces, almost hitting the hummer beside her. She, along with her mentor, stepped out and into the elevator, finally relaxing and leaning against the wall behind them as it began it's long journey up toward the penthouse. Their guns lowered, shoulers loosening as they escalated.

_The bastards would have to be crazy to attack here._ With that thought, he turned to her.

"You got no idea who they were?"

Licking her lips, she shook her head no. Raising her brow, she turned to him and reached between her compressed breasts. He followed her hand's path, eyes looking to the side before going back to her. From her cleavage, she pulled out the single black business card, stamped with silver letters. "But this might give us an idea."

He took off the shades and stared at the small card, taking it in his hand with a smirk. "That's my girl."

She returned the expression with a snicker, placing her hands against her hips and leaning forward to read with him. His blue eyes studied the two lines in the middle, written in a small, delicate and elegant font.

GUILLOTINES

Gino Donato Giamatié

A small Italian flag was centered under it.

"Guillotines?...The_ fuck_ kinda name is_ that_?" The Boss' upper lip curled up in disgust, brows scrunching together.

"Giamatié...Where do I know that from?" Shaundi looked around the elevator, biting her lip as she ran through her thoughts.

_Bloom, blump_. The doors slid apart.

They were surrounded by Saints as they stepped out, asking what happened. Some loaded the elevator to head downstairs.

The two walked down the main hall, passing and ignoring anything addressed to them. The Boss' voice shut any others, his fingers pointing at the individuals gathering around Shaundi. She was mumbling now, her expression showing clear frustration as she attempted to remember the name. They backed away from her, listening to their leader (...others focused more on Shaundi's outfit).

"I don't care what the _fuck_ it takes, we're bringing these bitches down. Spread the word around the Saints, by tomorrow morning I want information on these Guillotine fuckers. I want their leader, their lieutenants, their weapons, their numbers, their hustles. I wanna know families, friends, hookers they're fucking on the weekend. Take any information to Pierce, he'll be handli-"

Shaundi turned around, breaking her trance to look up at him. "_My ass_! They came after _me_, not _Pierce_! _I_ wanna handle these guido fucks!"

He had forgotten how short she was by comparison when she didn't wear her platforms. His austere expression deepened as he looked down at her, speaking to her and the rest of his listening Saints. "_PIERCE_ will be handling it. Where the hell is Pierce anyway?"

A hand slowly lifted from the crowd of hungover gatherers, pointing down at the couch in the living room. All eyes turned in that direction. Through the windows the rising sun painted the sky glowing yellow, it merged into a fading blue. The smoke trial of the morning's events floated through the air between skyscrapers, marking the loss of Saint lives. Pierce laid face down on the side couch, his leg hanging over the edge. He was knocked the fuck out, mouth hanging open. His face half buried in the cushion; the drool from his mouth left a dark stain on the surface. Bottles of Saints Flow and liquor laid around him. A deep, settling silence filled the room as two superiors stared at their partner. The others waited for direction. A small explosion went off in the distance. Pierce arched his back, poking his ass up higher. He mumbled something in his sleep before releasing a loud fart.

Shaundi rolled her eyes and threw her head back. "Oh, fuck no."

The Boss turned, nodding at his gang. "Alright, bring any information to _Shaundi_. Don't do any crazy shit unless one of us tells you to." The Saints nodded in understanding and dispersed quickly.

She smiled in triumph, following him as he made his way down the stairs to the main level. He was pissed. His footsteps were heavy, every step pounding as he moved behind the couch Pierce slept on. Shaundi sat on the opposite couch for a front row seat, crossing her legs.

Gripping the edge, the Boss tilted it forward. Pierce rolled out, banging the back of his head on the edge of the table as he fell to the floor. "AH!" Squinting, his eyes finally fluttered open. Shaundi laughed.

"Wake the hell up!"

Rubbing the back of his head, Pierce stared up at him and attempted to stumble up. "What, man!? Damn!" The landscape outside soon captured his eyes. They bugged out in their comedic manner. "HOLY SHIT! _WHAT_ HAPPENED?!"

"You," Speaking to Shaundi, the Boss moved around in her direction. "You can give the crew orders but don't do shit yourself. You stick to information then let us worry about taking them down."

"Why?!" She stood again. Her foot gave out, the sudden pressure put on it shot a stinging pain through her toned leg. She stumbled forward. His muscular arms caught her mid fall. Leaning against his chest, she used it to support herself as she look down at her throbbing foot. He helped her balance, holding her by the elbows as he looked down also. The top of her foot was swollen, dark purple with a streak of red to mark internal bleeding. She cleared her throat, pushing off him to stand on her own. "I'm fine."

"That's broken."

"I'm fine." She repeated, shrugging. He continued on his way.

"Shaundi, they have it out for you already. I don't want you getting caught up in this shit again. Until we figure what it is about you that made them tick, you don't leave here unless you have to. When you do, you travel with Saints and you _don't_ go anywhere else to sleep at night. You have a room here, use it."

Pierce began to stand, very slowly due to his pounding headache from the hangover they all shared. He turned his head back, watching The Boss walk with Shaundi following. A hint of her limp showed in the slightest as her foot flexed going up the stairs. He couldn't make out what they were saying but she was bitching about _something_. "AYE," He held his arms out, looking up at them. "CAN SOMEBODY FILL ME THE FUCK IN?"

They both ignored him. Frustrated, he threw his arms up, screamed "_DAMN_" and stomped to his room on the first level.

Meanwhile, the Boss cut off Shaundi mid sentence.

"Shaundi, I'm not telling you twice."

She grunted, rubbing her forehead.

"Go shower, you've got blood all over you. Get that foot taken care of. Get some sleep." The room across his belonged to her. He headed there, opening the door to her room. Her green eyes scanned the inside, turning around without saying a word. One of the Saints laid on the floor intertwined between the sheets with three hoes that were stripping for the party last night. The Boss sighed, rubbing his eyes. She called out from behind him.

"I'm using your shower! And some of your clothes. And your bed."

The Boss turned to look back at her as she walked across the hall and into his room. Shaundi responded a flirtatious smile as their eyes met, closing the door behind her.

He snickered, grinning as he looked down at the carpet. His hand came up to the back of his neck, rubbing through the tension. Licking his lips, he took a quick look around the empty hall before slowly making his way into his room also.


	6. The Mourning After

**The Mourning After**

"I can't believe Johnny's dead."

His senses perked at the sound of her voice in their darkness. Not like she had woken him, he'd been staring at the ceiling since they turned the lights off two hours ago. She laid there, looking at her own wall, and knew he hadn't fallen asleep yet. At least she had hoped he hadn't. _I can't be the only one feeling this shitty._

The bed was incredibly small, especially after years of king size ones they'd become used to sleeping in. The room was tight, the weapons delivered inside of it didn't seem to help much. They laid beside each other; him on his back with his hands on his bare stomach, her back to him as she laid on her side. The situation reminded them both of relationships they'd had in college, though neither brought it up. The silence filled the room again, aside from the usual sounds of Steelport from outside. It'd been years since she heard it this way, and it wasn't him she laid next to the last time. The deepness of the Boss' voice was stern and almost emotionless, as always.

"He's around. Somewhere."

His molars press together as the sudden pressure inundated his head. It was the same he had after Carlos. It pissed the hell out of him. He didn't understand it, nor did he attempt to. He forced it away as a subtle exhale echoed from the woman beside him. Shaundi grabbed her phone from the nightstand, checked the time then put it back down. _4:31 AM. _She could feel the moist layer of sweat over her body, despite being in only her tank top and panties. Her legs kicked off the sheets on her side, huffing in added frustration that she didn't need right now. "I could never figure out why it was always so fucking hot in this room."

The Boss looked down, watching what she did first. Once she settled again, his masculine hands groped the first layer of heavy, polyester sheets and tossed them completely off the bed. He laid back again.

She was quiet now, still facing the window and away from him. The streetlights seeped through the blinds, shining across her eyes and lips. She didn't feel better after his comment, nor did she expect to really. He wasn't like that. She knew he wouldn't say anything, even if he could. He felt this disappointment and though it didn't impact him deeply, it phased him.

"I wouldn't like killing you."

Her brows furrowed at his words, eyes moving to the side as she thought about them. His own eyes scanned the room, thinking of more words before continuing.

"I'd feel bad doing it, I mean. I wouldn't enjoy it." He swallowed the lump in his throat. _Not sure what the shit _that _was, but alright._

The silence spread through the room, weighing down the countdown to her response. She didn't know what to say to that, though it made her body and mind calmer. He eventually heard her snicker, twisting his blank expression into one of hostility. He lifted his body up, tilting over in her direction. "The hell you laughing at?"

"I'm not." She shifted closer to her end of the mattress and away from him. Noticing this, he reached over and grabbed a hold of her waist, pulling her back until her back pressed against the bed. The vastness of her green eyes stared up into the intense pale blue of his. Immediately, her hand moved to his jaw and cheek, her fingertip barely touching his earlobe. She repeated herself, her voice softer in volume than when she spoke the words before. "I'm not."

He glanced at her lips as they moved, his brows still pushed down. Unable to hold a grudge against her, he changed the topic.

"You alright?"

She nodded.

He nodded back, an understanding that it meant no, but they sure as hell wouldn't be discussing anytime soon. His hand lifted from her waist as she removed hers from his face. He slid back to his side of the bed and turned away from her.

Staring up at the worn down walls, Shaundi's thumb caressed the finger tips where the warmth of his skin lingered. She struggled to understand if she did it to to feel the sensation or wash it away. She wasn't sure of much tonight, of all nights. The moment had made her feel good, though it had passed in an instant and was now just a guilty memory. They both had a collection of those with each other; moments that when later thought over seemed insignificant, a familiar overkill that they experienced now. Still, she knew she felt closer to him in that second than she felt with any one else in this bed before.

The weight beside his shifted, indicating she had turned back now. Having gotten used to the darkness of the room, he could make out the shapes of the Saints' stolen military artillery. Despite what some would call his "psychopathic" mind, he was still capable of feeling sympathy. For her, at least. He wanted her to be alright. Usually he could make her laugh, make her smile. Tonight, he had no idea what to do to make this even close to happening. A snore came from the living room, bringing back the events of the night before.

_"Why the hell I gotta sleep on the couch?! Why can't Shaundi sleep on the couch?!" Pierce's eyebrow raised up, looking at the small, dirty couch with disgust. The Boss tried out the rest of the rifles, the question apparently seeming unworthy of eye contact._

_"Because if it wasn't for _Shaundi _we wouldn't have had this place to begin with."_

_"Fine then, _you_ sleep on the couch!" _

_The Boss' stare lifted now. He seemed less than amused. Pierce looked away, explaining. "I'm just sayin'...Why am I the one that gets fucked over? Why can't I be the one to sleep on the bed with Shau-"_

_"There's no fucking way I'm sleeping next to you." Shaundi stepped out of the kitchen, walking to the bedroom and slamming the door behind her._

_Both boys stared at her in silence...Pierce finally turned to the Boss, his arms wide out in a usual, childish protest. "Why the hell don't she wanna sleep next to me?!"_

"For someone who bitched so much about the couch," The Boss' voice pierced the silence again. "Pierce seems to be having no problem sleeping on it."

"Fuck him," Shaundi's chest tightened with anger. _How the fuck can he sleep so easily? _"He doesn't give a shit about anything or _anyone_ but himself."

"Yeeeah, you know how he is," He tossed back over. He didn't get to see much of her anymore, at least not as much as he used to. She'd just finished shooting a few episodes or some shit like that. "He throws pussy slap fits at everything. Remember that time he got mad that his stupid video never went viral? It was fucking hilarious when that Saints cat shit got more views in a day than his got in a few months."

"Saints cat?"

"Johnny Cat."

Silence. She finally turned her head to the ceiling, giving him a view of her profile. "...Wait, what?"

"You know, the cat thing online. He's wearing a purple shirt," He licked his lips, turning to look at her. "Hair spiked, dyed blonde, sunglasses. He's playing the piano?"

Shaundi stayed serious for a while...then the corners of her lips lifted in a subtle, confused smile. He smiled also, though she couldn't see it. Nodding, she spoke. "I get it. Like Johnny."

Her voice wavered slightly as she said Johnny's name. A sinking blow struck her chest. She sighed in an attempt to relieve that feeling of utter misery. Once again, she turned her head to stare outside; her smile dropping as the guilt set in. It was deep, breath taking and completely empty. There seemed to be no comfort, no exit from it. She was stuck in a vortex of dark emotions. Like small pins stabbing into every part of her body. It threatened to take over her complete self, though she didn't plan on letting it. She wasn't sure what to do to escape it. She didn't want to sleep or eat, talk or argue. Smiling, joking, the show. It was a waste of time. Anything other than absolutely destroying the Syndicate was a slap to Johnny's face. This anger, this disappointment, this sadness was something she had never felt before. A realization that even those on top of the world can fall.

It caught her off guard when his wrist suddenly leaned against the curve of her waist. It was very light in touch, his fingers themselves didn't touch her at all and instead rested against the matress in front of her. She stared down at his broad hand. Something triggered inside her chest. Her lips, which had parted after the sigh, closed again and she took a deep, almost inaudible breath in through her nose. A hint of moisture traveled down past her temple. Another eye's tear followed the trail of the first. Her eyelids closed.

His jaw clenched as she moved her hands to her face. Swallowing his pride, he moved closer to her and pressed his cheek against her shoulder blade. There was not much he could do and he wasn't _that_ familiar with comforting. He stared up at the posters around the room, the cracks, the peeling paint, the light coming in through the windows and all the while he thought of Gat. The silence was left undistrubed. Shaundi didn't so much as breath heavy, let alone sob. Wiping her eyes, her hands lowered. One held his forearm; he felt the wetness of her tears against his already sweaty skin. Seconds of silence. He looked down at the cheap sheets, making out the shape of their bodies beneath them. Eventually, she slid closer to him.

"You tell me if you want to go back to Stilwater."

She nodded.

They both fell asleep by 4:52AM, leaving the room filled with nothing but silence, heat, late night police sirens and the overwhelming amount of unspoken mourning and scent of reefer.


	7. Cheater, Cheater, Fist Eater

**Cheater, Cheater, Fist Eater**

The thin clothing items landed on the mattress and floor with loud _thumps_ and _swishes!_ She was grabbing everything out of her closet, ripping things off the hangers and throwing everything on her bed. Her brows were furrowed, lips poked out as she chewed a fiber grain bar.

Leaning his head inside the door frame, the Boss looked at the bed then back up at her.

"Shaundi...what are you doing?" He stepped in, sliding his hands in his pockets as he made his way next to her bed, the mountain of clothes on top of it growing as she kept moving back and forth.

She panted as she spoke, her voice sounded too calm to seem fine. "Rearranging my clothes."

"Why don't you just have someone else do it?"

"_Because I_ wanna do it_._ Why, is that alright with you? Do I need permission now?"

"Whoa, Shaundi. Relax. The fuck happened?"

"Nothing happened."

"Guy you're dating?"

"I said _nothing _happened...And it's the guy I dat_ed_."

"He do something?"

Shaundi turned back to the small room she called a closet, walking inside of it. "Yeah, he did some_thing_."

The Boss' brow lifted, looking down at the ridiculous amount of shoes around the floor. She continued to talk inside the closet. Now kneeling on the floor to gather the rest of her crap, the only part of her he could see was her ass and legs. He figured she'd just come from working out. She was still in a purple sports bra and short shorts, wearing smaller versions of the white Crooks & Castles sneakers he owned.

"With a ho. Literally. A ho. I mean," She got up now, the strand of hair over her forehead hanging over her eyes and across her nose. She poked her lower lip out, blowing it up and away from her face as she shook her head. Clearly pissed off, her arms held yet another load of (mostly purple) shoes that was promptly dropped on the ground. Her green eyes set on him, her hands held out as she spoke. "He says I wasn't giving him any. _Me_. Not giving _him_ any."

Lifting both brows, the Boss just stared back and listened as she talked. The idea of Shaundi not giving someone _enough_ sex was ridiculous. Hell, they'd just presented the the whole idea of a dating show yesterday _base__d_ around her sexing random dudes or something. At some point he said _"What would it even be called?...I Wanna Fuck Shaundi?"_ He was just joking, they seemed to like it though.

"I'm like, that's bullshit, dude." Her trimmed eyebrows pushed down, her parted lips taking small breaths. Her lungs were still recuperating after a seven mile run. "But it's true, I _didn't_ give him any because I didn't want to. Jesus, the guy couldn't even have sex with the lights on and _most_ of the time, he just slid it out of the front hole in his pants because he was uncomfortable getting fully naked. He couldn't even keep it up for more than three minutes and when it _was_ up, there wasn't much there-"

Scrunching his mouth and nose, the Boss turned away in disgust. "Really didn't need to know, Shaund." She kept talking.

"But he was cute, he was chill and most of the time he was holding, so why not? Now that the Saints are getting big and this whole show thing is offered he says he wants to stay with me but tells me I spend too much time with the boys and I need to spend more time with _him._ He says I don't 'call' enough, he doesn't 'see me' enough, I spend all my time with Third Street partying and I wasn't 'giving him any' - so he goes and picks up a stripper from a club in Barrio to blow him because he got lonely and thought _I_ was out blowing guys too. I say alright. Get someone who _can_ work with four inches because I fucking couldn't and I wasn't _going_ to, so I dumped his sorry ass."

She picked up the fiber bar, putting the last piece of it in her mouth. She chewed as she spoke, aggressively picking things up by the color to sort them. "I don't even care that he got blown, we've only been dating two weeks. It's not like I fucking _cared_ about him or anything, it was just a stupid fling but damn, why do I always get stuck with the dicks?" She tossed the last of her blouses down at the ground, placing her hands on her hips. Her purple nails outlined the curves of her thin waist. They were silent for a second as she looked down at all the clothes, more unorganized than before despite what she _thought_ she had been doing. Suddenly this became like a horrible idea. Sliding his hands out of his pockets, the Boss looked at her.

"I'll go get your shit." He turned, walking toward the door.

Her eyes widened. "Wait, what?" She followed, stepping over the pile of clothes.

"The shit you left at his place. I'll go pick it up. That way you don't have to see him."

Her serious expression cracked as she leaned in, holding her hands up to his bicep as she bit her lower lip, smiling mischievously. "You gonna fuck him up?"

"Well, I gotta get there before Gat does."

"I'll go with you!" Spinning around, she hopped over the bunch of heels on the floor and began to dig through the clothes, searching for her phone.

"What about rearranging your closet?"

She picked up the purple smartphone, sliding it in her bra. Smirking, she walked past him and ran her hand down his shoulder, bicep and arm. "I'll get someone else to do it later! Let's go!" Her fingers hooked around his loosely, tugging him to follow her as she headed toward the door.


	8. Pleasure Doin

**Pleasure Doin' Business**

"Unless you hand me two more twenties you're not getting the dust." Shaundi held out the cash in her hand. Her voice was relaxed as always though her demeanor was different. It had a serious tone. Her eyes stared down the white guy in front of her. He shuffled from side to side in a cocky manner as he pointed to her hand.

"80 or nothing Shaundi, that's the deal."

"It's really not. That may be _your_ deal, but it's not mine. 120 full or you're not getting shit."

"Oh, come _on_, Shaund-"

"Hey, listen man, no one's forcing you," Shaundi tilted her head, flipping her dreads back and past her shoulders. Her bangs hung over her eyebrows, which tilted up in amusement as she explained the situation to her potential buyer. "You can go out and try to get some low quality shit from one of these underground sellers that aren't working with the Saints, _but_ it'd be more expensive and everyone who's anyone knows _nothing_ is stronger than our dust. I made this batch myself."

"But-"

The Boss spoke behind his lieutenant. He stood taller than Shaundi and looked especially menacing with the muscle shirt he wore, exposing the ink and scars on his arms. Randy's eyes peeled back for a moment as his heart jumped in his chest. "You're wasting our time."

Shaundi nodded in agreement, handing the stunned frat boy back the wad of crumbled up bills. "Yeah man, really. If you didn't have the money to buy you should have said so. I have to go sell to the people that _do_." She turned, walking back to the car. "Come on Boss."

"_Wait!_" Randy shut his eyes...shaking his head and reaching into his back pocket. Shaundi turned back around, smiling. "I need something for this weekend..." He handed her the money again, this time adding two more bills. Shaundi took them, shuffling through each with a smirk.

"I knew you were smart, Randy. Alright," Looking at the Boss, she nodded. "He's good."

The Boss reached into the side pockets of his cargo shorts, sliding out the small, wrapped up packet of loa dust. He tossed it to Randy who caught it clumsily, almost dropping it. The Saints were getting into the purple Hammerhead by the time he looked up again. His shaking voice had lost the sense of "coolness" that he once tried to hold, calling out to Shaundi as they drove off. "_Th-thanks, Shaund_!...HEY! You comin' to my party, right?!"

"Maybe! We'll see!" She winked at him from a distance, giving him a thumbs up out of the window. Leaning back into the car, Shaundi turned to the backseat where the dufflebag of drugs laid. "Alright, head to the Apollo's on Sommerset."

He drove with the right hand, his left elbow leaning over his window. His eyebrow raised up, glancing back at her as she reached between the two front seats looking through the contents of their bag. "This better not be a stop for a Boston Cream, Shaundi..."

"No, no, we have a buyer." Grabbing two packets, she sat back upright in the passenger's seat and slid them into her jeans' pockets. "I'm totally getting my Boston Cream, though."

She smiled, leaning forward to turn the radio up before he could say anything. His lips pursed into his stale expression. _Murder She Wrote_. Both nodded their heads along after a moment, mumbling the words. She tilted her head down and removed her bandana, pulling the sun visor down.

"What the hell, you have no mirrors?"

The Boss' brows furrowed and he shook his head. "Hell no...I never even thought about it."

"Fine, here..." She pulled the rearview mirror to her side. "Not like you use it anyway."

Her fingers combed the front of the loose, blonde hair that made up her bangs. Moving her nails to her lips, she retraced them to further define the dark lipstick against the shape of her mouth. He glanced at her as she did this, not fully understanding why little details like that mattered to girls. Shaundi was pretty, make up or none. He turned back to the road. _It doesn't hurt she has a bangin' body._

He made a sharp turn, passing three honking cars and barely missing two in the incoming lane. The stunt slammed Shaundi back against her seat with a grunt; she winced as her elbow clashed with the door. "Do you _always_ have to drive like a lunatic?"

Despite her disagreement with _his_ driving, she stuck her head out of the window as the driver of a car passing by yelled profanities at them, responding with a loud "_YEAH, GO FUCK YOURSELF_!" Adjusting against the seat, she fixed her dreads back, folded the purple bandana and wrapped it around them before tying it. "God, some people are so rude. Swing around the drive-thru when you get there, we're early anyway."

The rubber of the Hammerhead's wheels left burnt marks against Apollo's entrance as they pulled in. Swerving around to the drive-thru, the tires came to a sudden stop in front of the menu. Shaundi leaned forward over his seat, her left arm wrapping around his shoulders and neck to support herself.

_"Thank you for coming to Apollo's can I take your order?"_ The voice through the speaker was apathetic and dragged out.

"Hey Jimmy wassup?"

_"Oh hey Shaundi! How you been, you want a Boston Cream?"_

"You know it. Hey, any chance you could hook me up and make that free? With some donut holes or somethin', I'm starving."

_"Sure, sure, Shaundi! Anytime, sure!"_

"How about a jelly donut too?"

_"Yeah, you got it, you got it! Anything else?"_

Shaundi turned to the Boss, inches away from his face. He shook his head. "I'm good."

She looked back at the speaker. "We're good."

_"One Boston Cream, brown donut and jelly donut! On the house for you, Shaundi. Pull around so I can see you."_

A young white guy shot out of the window enthusiastically. The sides of his face were ridden with acne, bright red against a pasty complexion. His upper lip carried a blonde mustache, uncombed and barely visible. His brown eyes half hidden by purple eyelids. The definition of a trailer park burnout. He looked confused when he saw the Boss, his thin lips parted to expose his bucked, crooked, yellow teeth. This changed into a gaping smile as Shaundi leaned over again, coming into view.

"Hey Shaundi! H-how you been?"

Shaundi nodded with a smile, her own eyes half closed from her high as usual. "Pretty good, how about you?"

"Good, hold o-, good-one second, sir-g-good, Shau-," He fumbled with his ear piece, attempting to juggle the conversation with Shaundi and the next customers at the drive-thru. Eventually he just pulled it off, ignoring them to focus solely on her. Jimmy's expression turned grim as he looked over the muscular guy in the driver's seat. "Good, Shaundi...Is this uh, is this um. Your...boyfriend?"

"No, this is the guy from the Saints I was telling you about. Boss, Jimmy. Jimmy, Boss."

Breathing a sigh of relief, his smile returned! "Oh, good! I mean, good to meet you man."

The Boss nodded, staring up at him with a raised brow.

Jimmy smiled, his eyes locking on Shaundi for an unusual long amount of awkward, silent admiration. She stared back along with the Boss, though her expression was less judgemental. "Umm, Jimmy...you gonna get my order?"

The car around the corner at the speaker honked its horn.

Jimmy snapped out of it as she said his name, nodding. "Oh! Yeah, yeah! Give me a second, Shaundi!" He picked up the headpiece, the windows shutting behind him as he got back to work. The Boss turned to her.

"Did you fuck him or something?"

"_Jimmy?_ Oh _God_ no. I never dated Jimmy, we're just friends."

He shrugged. "Just wonderin', he seems pretty smitten."

"I don't sleep with _every_ guy I talk to, you know? Pierce is just full of shit. What do you care anyway?"

"I don't." He turned back to the drive-thru outside, his expression darkened as hers lightened.

Jimmy came through the window again, holding a bag. The Boss reached over for it but Jimmy's arm froze midway through. His smile dropped and his eyes focused on a specific spot. Both Saints followed his stare, where Shaundi's arms pressed her breasts together from the way she leaned over, her v-neck tank top highlighting her cleavage dangerously close to a full view. She leaned back, adjusting her shirt. The Boss snickered, yanking the bag out of Jimmy's hand, who jumped at the sudden movement. "Thanks Jimmy."

"N-no problem..._BYE SHAUNDI!"_ The Hammerhead was already half way into the parking lot, finding a spot by the back.

"You know he's gonna go to the bathroom during his break and jack off to _that_ image."

Shaundi punched him in the arm playfully, taking the bag from his hands. "Alright, so we got about 15 minutes to kill. This guy's driving a red Zimos. He wants two pounds, but I don't know him that well so keep an eye out."

"What do you mean you don't know him that well?"

"He's a...friend of a friend...of an ex...whooo...didn't really know the friend."

"Great."

"We met at a party last week and he said he was ready to buy, so me and Julie met him up the next day to sell him some weed - you know, for starters. He said he wanted to try it first before committing to the dust." She leaned her seat back, putting her feet up on the dashboard. "Then he calls me up and says he's ready to buy two pounds now, and asks if I'm coming alone. He seemed pretty shady." Opening the bag, she got out the Boston Cream donut, handing him the donut holes. He took them, leaning his seat back also.

"And these are the people you do business with?"

"Hey, in case you haven't noticed, our buyers aren't always the most pristine citizens of Stilwater," He stayed quiet; she had a point_._ "Anyway, he asked if I'd be strapped too."

"Why the hell does that matter to him?"

"Exactly."

"What'd you tell him?"

"That I wouldn't be."

"You tryin' to get yourself killed?"

"Relax, I got this. You know I am," She leaned over, showing the Vice 9 against her lower back, slid into her purple jeans. "I just had to get him to come meet us."

"Why's that?"

She sat back, chewing on the bite of the donut she had just taken. "Because. This could either be a regular deal or he could lead us straight to this new gang we've been hearing shit about. Either way we win somethin'. I heard that so far, most of their income is coming from drugs and I'm pretty sure he's their main dealer."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I looked in the back of his car when I sold him to him the first time," Taking another bite, her eyes went to the opposite side of the road, scanning the area the Boss wasn't. "And he was _stacked_ with sizes, and I'm not just talking weed. This guy was clearly selling. The only reason he would need our dust is to try to recreate it, like we did with the Sons."

The Boss nodded...raising his brow to look at her. "So what's the plan?"

"He pulls in, I get out of the car to sell. Once we make the deal and he gets back in his car, we wait a few minutes then we follow him, see what he's doing with the drugs."

"And if he's planning on fucking us over?"

"That's why you stay in the car. If he plans to start shit he'll back out once he sees you, so just lay low until we see what he's up to."

"And if he acts up, we fuck him up. Sounds simple enough." He ate the first donut hole, taking his feet off of the pedals to stretch out. He had to hand it to Shaundi, sometimes her intelligence surprised him. Apollo's had a clear view of the main roads making it impossible for them to miss a car approaching, and its fences kept them hidden at the same time. Though the plan had a million possibilities of going wrong, as most of the Saints' plans did, at least she made _that_ smart decision - one regular bangers wouldn't have even thought of. It was little things like that that made her so valuable to his gang. Like Pierce, she was one of his essential assets, something her appearance made hard to believe to anyone that didn't know the Saints: a teenage pothead, nodding her head and _singing_ the guitar melody to Simple Minds' _Don't You Forget About Me_ while finishing a jelly donut. Then again, he was only a few years older, singing the words while eating a donut hole, so who was he to talk?

"Alright, he should be here soon," Shaundi lifted her seat, shoving the Apollo's bag out of her lap. Opening the door, she got out of the car and made her way around to the driver's side. Her hand went up to the roof over his seat, shuffling her weight to each foot as she waited, talking to the Boss through the open window. "Remember to stay down, he thinks I'm comin' alone. I got my piece if anything goes wrong but be ready, okay?"

"Don't worry Shaundi, I got it."

"Here he comes! I'll make sure he doesn't see you."

She made sure to keep her back to the Hammerhead as he pulled in, parking beside them. Through the window he could see the gun that split her tramp stamp in two, the purple jeans she wore hugged against her lower back. Her hips swayed as she stepped a few yards forward. The man who slid out of the rusted, red car was tall and seemed nervous. His hands shook and he licked his lips regularly as he stepped toward Shaundi, whose voice carried a smile the Boss couldn't see.

"Hey. Gordy, right?"

"Yeah. Hey Shaundi. Nice ride..."

"Thanks its my friend's. You got the money?"

"How much again?"

"Two forty for two pounds."

"Yeah...yeah, I got your money. Where's the loa dust?"

"Right here," She tapped her back pockets. "Show me the cash and you get the dust."

Silence. The Boss' hand caressed the handle of his loaded Kobra. He leaned up enough to see the two. Gordy looked uncomfortable...or constipated. Beads of sweat dropped down his forehead. He wasn't moving. Then he nodded, swallowing. "I'll...it's in my car."

Opening the car door, Gordy sat on the passenger's side and looked through the glove compartment. Shaundi's hands went to her waist, closer to her lower back - her hands inches from the Vice. Gordy stood again, extending his skinny arm out. In his bony hand he held a NR4, its barrel pointed at Shaundi.

"Whoa man, what the hell are you doing!?"

"G-give me...the dust, Shaundi." His hand shook.

"Do you know who you're fucking with? The entire Row's gonna come afte-"

"_GIVE! ME! THE DUST! OR I'LL BLOW YOUR FUCKING BRAINS OUT!_"

The Boss' jaw clenched. Gordy had positioned himself behind Shaundi, making it impossible for him to get a clear shot. If he came out now, he'd end up with another Veteran Child or worse.

Shaundi rolled her eyes as she reached into her back pockets for the drugs. She held two pound packets out for him.

As he reached for them, she doubled over and slammed herself into his chest and stomach. His back crashed against the side of his car and the pedestrians walking the sidewalk went insane after some bullets were fired. The Hammerhead's door flung open. Shaundi slammed her knee into Gordy's side, he was thin enough that she could feel his ribs. Her other hand jabbed into him in repeated punches all over his torso. His hands slammed against her back, eventually pistol-whipping somewhere near her neck. She stumbled, grunting from the pain. Seeing the Boss get out of the car, Gordy pointed the gun in his direction.

Something pushed his arm up as he pulled the trigger. Another rise of screams from the pedestrians.

"YOU _STUPID _CUNT!"

Disoriented, Shaundi dug her nails into his skin, making sure his barrel stayed away from either Saint. She struggled with his strength and him with hers, the gun swinging from side to side, going off occasionally.

_"POLICE! PUT DOWN YOUR WEAPONS!"_

All three turned to the street, now surrounded in lit cop cars.

"Shit!" Gordy lifted his hands, shaking even more now. He dropped the gun to the floor.

They focused on the remaining gun holder now. "_SPD! FREEZE! PUT. THE WEAPON. DOWN."_

The Boss raised his gun in their direction and pulled the trigger.

The first shot rang from the street. Soon a series of bullets flew between the leader and the 5 or so cops. He ducked behind the muscle car, dragging the attention to himself rather than Shaundi.

She turned to look at Gordy, who stared at her wide-eyed in frozen fear. Her fist went up, clashing against his jaw hard enough to break the skin of her main knuckles. He stumbled to the side, falling to the floor beside his car. The tip of her sneaker clashed against his face, ripping his lip open down the middle. The cartilage in his nose snapped. She kneeled down beside him, her hands searching through his pant pockets for the keys to the Zimos.

A cop's eyes moved from leader to lieutenant, his gun soon followed, aiming in her direction. Three of the Boss' bullets ripped through his chest, knocking him down before the trigger was pulled. The shooting became more aggressive, the Hammerhead's two front wheels getting shot out. He crouched again to reload.

Shaundi stumbled behind the Zimos, using her hands against the ground to push herself forward. Resting against the bumper, she pulled out her Vice 9 and turned to the Boss. "Boss I got his keys, let's go!"

The bullets she fired flew over Gordy's head. He cried from the pain, mixing his tears and blood together as he rubbed his face. The cops ducked behind their doors as she began to shoot nonstop, something the Boss took advantage off. Leaning on the back bumper, his elbow crashed through the back windshield of his car. He grabbed the gym bag full of loa dust before heading to the Zimos. She threw the keys up for him to catch as he ran past her and in return he tossed her the bag of drugs; both Saints moved to the front seats, still shooting forward at the barricade on the street.

Gordy's hand wrapped around Shaundi's ankle as she got in, attempting to tug her out or lift himself up. The Boss threw the car in reverse the moment the ignition roared to a start, his foot slamming down against the accelerator. Turning the wheel, the Zimos swirved around in a complete 180. Gordy shrieked as his shirt lifted up with the drag, his skin burning and scraping against the gravel of the parking lot. Shaundi reached over and grabbed the door handle, and lifting her foot she slammed it shut against his wrist. He finally let go and rolled across the lot - looking up, he saw the wheel of his own car heading toward his face.

The car shook up as they passed over Gordy's head, his scream getting cut short as his flesh, brain and skull cracked and exploded against the ground. Thick strands of blood splattered up against the tires and the edge of the car, spraying the front benches, walls and windows of Apollo's - leaving a trial on the parking lot as the car sped forward after a quick burnout. They headed to Chinatown.

Jimmy stepped out of the bathroom with a satisfied grin, still wiping his hands on his apron. He looked outside at the blood covered windows, his jaw hanging open...The manager passed by, handing him a mop. "You're cleaning that."

"Holy shit!" Shaundi turned back, staring at whatever was left of Gordy's face. His body was still twitching. "You squished his fucking head apart!"

"He shoulda known better than to fuck with my Saint."

She looked him over. He was focused. Really focused. He was like this most of the time. His eyes were the most intense she'd ever seen on someone. Everything he did, he did with such extensive determination. He could kick anybody's ass, anytime of day. And then other times when he'd _actually_ sit the fuck down and relax, he could make her laugh even when she wasn't high. She smiled, biting her lip. High pitched sirens rang behind them, interrupting her thoughts as the cop car cut a corner.

He looked up through the rear view window. "They caught on quick."

"Yeah, you just peeled out on that guy's head!" Her body was twisted as she looked between the seats at the approaching police car. Another three followed behind him. "I don't think a trip to Forgive & Forget is gonna work with this one Boss-" The window blew out from a bullet. "-_DAMN_!"

She lifted herself up, her knee planted on the seat as she leaned out of the window. Her hand pointed the Vice 9 back and fired. From the mirrors, he saw one of her bullets hit the driver's chest. He fell limp and the car followed, turning a corner and slamming into a near by store building.

"Good shot!"

"Thanks!" She moved back in to reload. "Step on it Boss!"

"The fuck does it look like I'm doing?! This car gets no God damn speed!"

"You gotta go faster! They're right on our ass!" She leaned out again.

He waited for her clip to empty, pursing his lips together in concentration. "Hang on, _HANG ON_!"

_This better work_. He switched his foot from accelerator to break, his left hand cutting the wheel as his right pulled the gear into neutral. He threw it back into drive in mid-turn, his foot switching pedals again. The police cars came into view now, swerving to the side as they dodged the now incoming car. Both Saints shot out as the car sped past, killing a few officers on the way and distracting the rest enough to get to the end of the street. He took a corner, sliding between the edge of a building and a light post. "They're gonna keep comin', we needa get to a crib."

Shaundi reloaded. "There's no way they aren't patrolling the roads near Purgatory now. We'll have to try SU."

"That's too far we only have a few seconds before-" Sirens around the corner. "_That_ happens."

"Take this corner and move into this first alley! I got an idea." A gunshot blasted in the distance as they made the turn, soon sliding into the alleyway to the right. The sirens echoed throughout the streets around them. "Keep going straight til you reach the projects, Boss. We can move easy through there, it shouldn't be hard to blend."

"And we cut through to Redlight."

"You got it."

Their Zimos crossed the main road that separated the two districts. A cop spotted them, chasing them through the projects' parking lot. Another followed. A group of guys stood by their cars, smoking blunts and drinking 40s. They all turned as they heard the incoming sirens, a few managing to jump out of the way. Two didn't, getting rammed by the Zimos' front bumper. The force sent both toppling over the hood. Shaundi closed her eyes and turned her head as they crashed into the windshield, bursting it into tiny pieces of glass. Their lifeless bodies rolled off of the car's surface. The first cop car swerved to miss the already dead men, crashing into parked cars in the process. The second found a clear path and continued the pursuit of the Saints. Ahead of them was the exit to the projects, and in front of it the back alleyway leading to Purgatory. They were about to reach it when patrols cars blocked off their path.

"Boss!" She slapped his shoulder to get his attention then pointed to their left at a metal sheet that rested against a collection of dumpsters. "Take that jump!"

The car shivered on the unstable platform as he drove onto it. He never seemed to question Shaundi's plans until they were actually _doing_ them. _I really need to fucking start doing that! _His foot rammed down hard, flooring the car forward. The friction from its tires pushed the ramp back as it hit the air. The cop tried to follow, though it fell flat against the ground soon after. The Five-O's grill rocketed against the edge of the metal garbage containers, flipping forward and over. The Zimos flew over the wall of cop cars blocking the projects' gates, landing with a loud crash and high note squeal from the tires as their thread scraped against the asphalt. Shaundi grinned and laughed, slapping the edge of the car's window. "Good _fuckin'_ times! Go, go, go, _go_!" She leaned out of the window again to empty her Vice.

The Saints in front of the club aimed their weapons at the Zimos when it came to a stop. Black smoke rose from the hood, bullet holes sprayed against its side and the windows throughout. Alberto, the oldest of the Saints there, stepped up to the car with a GDHC in hand. The rear bumper fell as the Boss stepped out, reloading his gun before shoving it into the back of his shorts.

"Aye!" Alberto turned to the Saints. "Chill, it's the Boss! Fuck, I shoulda known it was you causing all this mierda, cabron! Guys went out lookin' to back you up as soon as we heard the pigs goin' loco." Shaundi got out from the passenger's side, looking at the backseats through the window. Alberto pointed at her, looking at the Boss. "How did I know she was gonna be with you?"

"Hey to you too, Alberto." She walked around, closer to the two guys - the bag of their product still in her hand.

"What the fuck did you two do now, eh?" Alberto followed the Boss as he took a few steps forward. The sirens distanced themselves, knowing better than to come any closer now.

"Nothin'," Shaundi shrugged. "Just havin' fun."

"We were out doing another one of Shaundi's fucked up deals."

"Ah, okay." Alberto sneered, nodding. "Now I get it."

"Hey! I told you that guy was shady! At least we took care of him."

"Yeah," The Boss turned to her, raising his brow. "And you also said he was a dealer for that new gang. We left with nothing but an adrenaline rush and a fucked up car."

"Take a look in the backseat." She smirked.

He hesitated for a second, eventually stepping past her to the Zimos. Alberto followed, peeking in. The entire back was covered in packages upon packages of what seemed like drugs, ingredients for explosives and maps marked with red circles, along with purple ones that seemed to match all their hideout locations. Alberto's mouth dropped. Shaundi stood behind them, crossing her arms. "I told ya so."

"Alberto," The Boss turned to look at him. "Call the Saints and tell them to get back here. We got work to do. I want all this shit out of this car and into the hotel."

Nodding, Alberto ran toward the others while pulling his phone out to make the calls. The Boss walked past Shaundi. She smiled up at him, following.

"Sooo..."

"Sooo...?" His hand lifted up to another member, who tossed him the keys to his parked car with a quick salute.

"Sooo...I did good!"

He snickered, licking his lips as he unlocked the car. "Yeah, you did. Good work, Shaundi."

"Thanks Boss." She grinned as the Boss stepped to the driver's side, getting into the passenger's seat after a few seconds. "Okay, we got another sell. This one's at the docks." She tossed the dufflebag to the back seat.

He nodded, starting the engine. His hand moved to the radio, turning it to KRhyme. "Alright, but we're stoppin' by a Freckle Bitch's after. All that blood made me hungry."

She nodded in agreement, laying her head against the headrest as she looked at him. "_Hells _yeah..."


	9. RollerBladeHer

**RollerBladeHer**

"Shaundi always says she can take one on." The Boss stared through his windshield at the group of Deckers across the street.

"Because I can."

"_Pshhh_ yeah right. You know you _can't_." Pierce leaned forward, resting his arms against the two front seats where Shaundi and the Boss sat.

"Fuck you, don't tell me what I can or can't do."

"_Girl_, you _cannot_ take on _that_ bitch by yourself, you see the big fucking hammer she has?"

"Just because _you _can't take her doesn't mean I can't, Pierce."

"Hey," The Boss tilted his head, looking at both. "You two are walking home if you keep it up."

Both lieutenants shut up, making childish mocking expressions when they looked at each other. Shaundi rolled her eyes, turning forward. They sat inside the Boss' Bootlegger finishing whatever was left of the fast food they'd gotten. Rob Roy played as they ate, though they were silently staring at the group of young Deckers that hung around the street. They had been focusing on the young female rollerblader, who idly spun from side to side on her wheels as if waiting for someone to test her little crew, trying to figure out what the hell that blue trail was.

"Make a bet." Shaundi looked at Pierce.

"What?"

The Boss raised his brow. "Yeah, not a bad idea... Pierce, if you're so sure, bet her for it...10 grand says Shaund can take that bitch down on her own."

"Fuck that. 35." She nodded. "Whaddaya say, Pierce?"

"_Shit_," Pierce smirked, leaning back. "Easiest money I'll ever make. Deal - _but_...with conditions."

"Conditions?"

"Yeah. Shooting her is easy. You say you can take her down yourself, then do it without a bullet. Don't use your gun on her 'til you've knocked her ass down without one."

"So what? She gets a big fucking electric sword and I get shit?"

"Here," The Boss reached over, punching open the glove compartment. He took out a small blade and handed it to Shaundi. "Go all _matador_ on her ass or somethin'."

Shaundi grabbed the knife and slid it open. It was short, about 3 inches total. She closed it again and stuffed it into her tank. "Alright, so you two take out the other assholes, leave the chick to me."

"_What!? _Nuh _uh_ girl, that ain't how this is goin' down!" Pierce pointed, holding his hands out. "You said you could take her on, so take them all on if you have to. I ain't doing _shit_."

"Oh would you shut up, it's not like _you'd_ help much anyway."

The Boss ignored their argument, looking at her as she pulled the door's handle. "We'll be here if you need us Shaundi."

"I won't." She stepped out, slamming the door shut behind her.

"_Woo!_" Pierce grinned, leaning over again. "She's about to get her ass _whooped_!"

Boss shook his head, staring at his third in command as she made her way toward the street. "You _really _think Shaundi is gonna get her ass kicked by that Decker?"

"The Decker ain't bad," He grinned. "But that hammer thing looks like a bitch."

* * *

One of the Deckers turned at the sound of her heels. "Well! Look who paid us a visit!" The rest looked, those that had been sitting stood up as they saw her approaching. Their mouths began to throw insults in annoying, nasal, British accents.

"Well, well, well. It's a Saint!"

"What's the matter Saint?"

"Lost your way home?"

She continued walking toward them, her jaw clenching as she came closer.

"Junkie bitch!"

"Hey look, it's St Whore!"

"Think a Saint can just walk in our turf and live?"

"Came to die, Saint?"

"You looking for more men to fuck on national televi-_OUGH_!" Shaundi's heel dug into the boy's stomach, knocking him to the floor. Both hands reached behind her, pulling out the dual set of pistols she carried against her back. Her guns lifted to the other Deckers, automatically squeezing both triggers in an alternative, continuous rhythm. Some pedestrians took cover while others took out their phones to get footage. The bullets ripped through most before they had the chance to grab their guns, their blood splattering around the street and forming a pool underneath their lifeless bodies.

_"Oh, SHIT!" Pierce's eyes widened, his head nearly whip lashed back in surprise._

_"Fuckin' right!"_

_"She fucked them up!"_

_"That's what I'm talkin' about!" The Boss grinned, raising his brow._

The rollerblader blurred out of sight when the gun was pulled, leaving a long, blue electric trial behind her. Or radioactive...whatever that shit is. Buzzing sounded all around, though the Decker never came into sight. Shaundi tossed her Kobras to the side as she looked around. Her hand reached inside her blouse, pulling out the small, retractable knife. "Come on, you emo _bitch_. What happened to all that shit you were talkin'? Just you and me. Let's go!"

Her small hands tightened into fist. She kept the blade closed and concealed in her right, her grip squeezing it to steady any incoming punches she'd have to make - her knuckles hadn't fully healed after she broke them on some prick's face. Another buzzing behind her. She turned around to face it. Nothing. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she tilted her head to the side as she called out again. "You gonna come the fuck out or not?!"

_Pierce pointed for the Boss to see. "There she is! She's comin'!"_

_Buzzz!_ The electricity cut through the air with swinging static as Shaundi turned. She tilted backwards, keeping her feet planted on the ground. _Thank God for yoga._ Her left fist jabbed into the Decker's ribs, making her stumble to the side and grunt in pain before taking off into another speeding frenzy. Shaundi regained her full balance upright, her eyes following the blue trail left behind. Another _buzz_. Shaundi twisted to the side to dodge it. Then - _pow_. The hammer came down hard beside the lieutenant, cracking the concrete as it sent shock waves through it and the surrounding air.

_"Should we get out Boss?"_

_"Nah, she's got this." He leaned back, watching intently._

Shaundi stumbled forward from the force, falling to her knees. _Swzz-BZZ!_ She rolled on her back, out from under the incoming blow from hammer's blade, and she caught the back of the Decker's knees with her foot. The heel of her platform dug into her enemy's side as she fell, penetrating through the skin in a bloody wound. The young woman dropped the shock hammer as she stumbled to get up. Soon she was gone again, rollerblading around the perimeter while talking a _lot_ of shit.

_"Oh shit! Pierce, you see that?!"_

_"She kicked the fuck outta her leg!" Pierced laughed._

Rising to her feet, Shaundi looked down at the hammer - her black heel crashing down through it. Its electric motherboard shattered into pieces and its buzzing came to a slow, dying silence. The Decker came to a stop, her expression overly aggressive though she was sweating profusely. A dark red stain bled through the plaid skirt around her upper thigh. "You're gonna _die_ right here, you stupid bitc-"

"Would you just _shut up_ and come throw down already?" Shaundi began walking towards her, though she sped off into the distance at the first step. "Oh you've gotta be fucking kidding me!"

_The Saints in the car busted out laughing._

_"She needs to hurry her ass up, more of their crew is gonna be comin' soon." Pierce leaned forward, still grinning as he squinted. "Hey Boss...who's that?"_

"Um, Shaundi..." Shaundi turned at the voice, looking down at a lanky teenager who grinned at her - his braces were purple. His shirt had her face on it; merchandise from the show. His arms were long and thin, decorated in freckles. His shaggy hair covered his eyes and he was clearly stoned. "Oh _shiiit_, it _is_ you...Shaundi..._whoa._ I'm meeting _Shaundi_..."

"I'm a little busy, dude." She looked around. Traces of blue trails were just vanishing through the air.

"Oh...Sorry...My bad...Can I um...can I get your autograph though?" He held up two things.

_Swzzfttt!_

Shaundi turned, her right arm extending out fully as she stepped to the left and flicked her wrist, snapping the blade out. The Decker skated directly into the clothesline, Shaundi's forearm ramming into her collarbone with enough force to send her into the air, only feet away from the fan. She flipped in a complete 360, falling against the asphalt face first and leaving a bright red stain. Shaundi spun the knife between her fingers. It flipped halfway before she caught it by the handle, making sure its blade pointed down, then stabbed it into the Decker's spine to make sure she wouldn't go anywhere.

_Pierce and the Boss tilted back in surprise, laughing as they covered their mouths with their fists in a synchronized "OOOHHH!"_

Walking to her guns, Shaundi picked one up and checked it to make sure it was ready to fire.

The woman screamed as Shaundi's platform pressed against her neck; she had tried rolling to the side. The Decker's eyes were half covered by black and blue hair, though Shaundi's stared through - her eyes shining bright green that stood out against the light purple eyeshadow. She licked her lips before bringing up the gun, its barrel pointed between the Decker's eyes. "This is for thinking you could fuck with a Saint."

She pulled the trigger, blowing the girl's brains onto the road.

Exhaling, she turned back to the boy who still held out a marker and a copy BoyToy with her on the cover. She took the marker after re-strapping the Kobra, popping the cap off with her mouth and holding it there. Her left hand took the magazine, signing across it - marking the end of the "i" with the usual sparkle. The purple Bootlegger rolled to a stop behind her, running over dead Decker bodies.

The Boss leaned over from the driver's seat as he called out to her and opened the passenger's door. "C'mon Shaundi, get in. We don't have all day."

Capping the marker, she handed it and the Boytoy back to their owner...who still stood there, jaw dropped.

"Take it easy." She nodded to him before turning back, talking to Pierce as she stepped in. "35 grand cash. Pay up."


	10. Unconscious Buddy Language

**Unconscious Buddy Language**

The knife pressed against her throat, slamming her back against the wall. "Bitch, I _said_ don't move."

Shaundi stood still, smiling a bit. "Alright, alright...Take it easy, it's not that serious." She glanced down at the hand that pinned her back. Two guys stood behind the one in front of her.

"Fuck _you_, Shaundi." The man's eyes narrowed, getting closer to her face. His breath brushed against her lips as he spoke through gritted teeth. "This is the _last_ time you're getting out of this."

Her expression twisted into one of annoyance. "How many times do I gotta say I don't know what the fuck you're talkin' about-"

"_SHUT_ your cock sucking mouth...I told you," The makeshift knife slid down her collarbone to her exposed cleavage, between the prison jumpsuit she wore which was always unzipped toward the top. His eyes traced the knife, licking his lips through a smirk. "If I don't get my money...I'll have to make you pay for those drugs another way."

Her hand slid up, slapping his hand away with an irritated chuckle. "Yeah, _that's_ not gonna happen."

His hand slid up and pressed against her neck again, pushing against her skin enough to break it. "SHUT...THE FUCK...UP...Jeremy told me...He...He told me. I gave him the drugs and he told me you...He said...he...they...He _said_ they were for you! He said you'd pay! And unless you do, you're gonna have to deal with me _and_ my friends!"

Rolling her eyes, her smile dropped for the first time as she felt the sting on the side of her neck. "Look, those drugs weren't for me. You know I don't buy my shit, Kenny."

"I don't give a shit what you say Shaundi! I want my fucking money!" He was shaking now, stuttering and sweating. She was right. She wasn't known to buy.

"It's not my fault you were dumb enough to listen to Jeremy, you know he's a sleaze. He was just trying to get free drugs, like he _always_ does! I have _nothing_ to do with him-"

"ARGH!" Kenny shut his eyes, letting her go as he doubled over in frustration. "STOP TALKING." He charged back at her, the blade out and aiming at her.

"_Ugh!_"

"_URGH!_"

Kenny turned back at the sound, his eyes looking down at his two friends that now laid on the ground. Johnny's fist caught his eyes next before the blinding pain struck the entire front of his skull. Then he passed out into unconsciousness.

Shaundi rubbed her neck as both her and Gat stared down at the three knocked out guys on the floor. "Thanks..." Bringing her hand down, she stared at the red liquid that spread from her palm to her fingers.

"Don't mention it. You alright?" Johnny's thick brows raised behind his glasses as he looked at her.

"I'm good. He's an asshole."

"You have a knack for attracting those."

"Apparently." She wiped the hand against her jumpsuit.

"What's his deal with you anyway?"

She shrugged. "That Jeremy guy got some drugs and said they were for me or...something...like that."

"Or something like that? You high?"

"Totally."

"...Well shit, its his fault for selling to that bitch anyway." He looked back down at the men.

"That's what _I_ said."

Johnny tilted his head, looking at the red streak on her neck under her choker. "You should go get that checked out."

"I'm fine."

"You know we got yard work in like 30 minutes."

"Actually, I think I'm feeling kinda disoriented."

Johnny smirked, nodding. "That's what I thought."

* * *

Shaundi looked through the small opening of curtains. The last nurse left the room. The Hospital Ward wasn't much. This particular room was a room for rest, a chance to recuperate for people who had minor injuries or illnesses. Most of the other beds were empty, aside from an elderly man who had a bad case of the flu on the opposite side of the room. He coughed repeatedly in his sleep. Her hand reached between the thin curtains, parting them more to make sure no officers were around before pulling out the blunt hidden in her bra.

The bell rang in the distance. She smiled, rubbing her burning eyes as she laid against the pillows. _This definitely beats picking up trash. I should get slashed more often... _Putting the blunt between her lips, she took a long hit and held it, until her lungs stung from lack of oxygen. She coughed in unison with the old man across the room, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. The blunt was almost gone. She dragged until she felt the flame burn her fingers and then some, then put it out against the bed's metal frame before stashing the burnt filter under the other's mattress. Lifting herself to a sitting position on the side of the bed, she slid her hand under her dreads to rub the back of her neck. Her fingers ran down the side, over the bandage that covered the cut. Forgetting about it, she redid the knot of her purple bandana before fixing the hair against her forehead. Grunting lazily, she stood to her feet and stretched before looking around.

Even through the orange jumpsuit, the shape of her curves defined as she walked with that nonchalant swaying of hers. The blunt hadn't been enough to fade her out, though it prolonged the nice buzz from earlier. Looking inside the drawers and cabinets was uneventful, though she found some syringes without needles. She stuffed a few into her socks then continued to pace around the room. The tapping of her sneakers suddenly made her aware of the other repetitive sound around. It surpassed the faint talking and fighting of some inmates. _Beep...Beep...Beep._ Her brows furrowed, turning to the door.

A young guard stood in front of the door to the infirmary. He turned to look at her as she walked out into the hall.

"Hey Danny." She smiled, walking toward him...then past him.

He smiled back. "Hey Shaundi...wait, wait, where you going?!" He blocked the door, preventing her from stepping inside.

She looked up at him, nodding toward the room he protected. "Who's in there?"

"What do you care?"

"I asked first."

Danny sighed. "Some...guy we're suppose to watch at all times. He's in a coma or something..." He rolled his eyes. "It's...stupid."

"So let me go in there and see." She tried to pass again. He blocked the entrance - this time tripping over his own feet slightly.

"N-No!" His hands extended, dropping the rifle he held in the process. He kneeled down to pick it up now, looking up at her who stood there - waiting with one hand on her hip. "I can't Shaundi, sorry...Look, I could get in a lot of trouble just by talking to you...What are you doing here anyway, what happened to your neck?"

"Don't worry about it. C'mon. Lemme go in there, what's gonna happen? You just said he was in a coma, what am I gonna do wake him up so we can murder people together?" She chuckled.

Danny laughed...rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright...I guess I could take my lunch break now, it's about time anyway. Just _don't_ do anything...my ass is on the line. And if you get caught, you didn't see me here, got it?"

"Don't worry, whether I plan to or not this entire conversation is going to be blurry by tomorrow morning."

Danny laughed, nodding as he hesitantly walked down the hall. She watched him leave, making sure he was at least halfway gone before entering the room.

There were only a few beds in the intensive care unit and only one was in use. The steady beeping grew louder as she stepped closer. She licked her lips, casually inching her way past the empty medical tables to the second to last bed. Her small hand pulled back the curtain, tilting her head to look at the patient.

The shape of a man laid there in the same standard issue jumpsuit she wore. Bandages covered the entirety of his body, including his face.

Shaundi smiled, tilting her head as she made her way to the end of the bed.

"So you're the one everyone talks about..."

_Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep..._

She stared at him.

"You don't seem _that_ bad." She half tapped half slapped his lifeless foot. It swung back and forth gently before slowly coming to a stop. His file laid in the tray against the bed. She picked it up, not bothering to read his identity profile so much. She knew who he was, or who he had been. Johnny had talked about him. Shit, _everyone_ talked about him. Even in high school, she heard of the guy from the Row who was making a name for himself. She'd seen him once or twice, though not much else. He was quiet, serious and kept to himself for the most part - a complete opposite of her.

She went instead to the pending charges held against him on the next page...and the next after that. Her eyebrows lifted, smiling. "Holy shit!...You _are_ bad." She read down, flipping the page as she read along. "Arson, theft, possession, fraud, murder, murder, murder, murder...You were busy, huh?"

She continued to skim the file, reading about his injuries, under going treatments, possible chances of getting out of this coma, so on. Finally finished, she placed the clipboard back to its original holding place and moved to the edge of the bed. There was a few seconds of silence as she stared at him.

"Johnny always talks about you. He's always telling people about the crazy shit you two did a few years back. It's pretty cool, sounds like good times. Maybe if you ever get outta here the three of us can relax together." She pushed him to the side with her hip as she sat next to him on the bed.

"He's on death row though, so you might wanna hurry and wake up...You can keep a secret, right?" She nudged him with her elbow, hitting his shoulder. His body wobbled lifelessly from the push before becoming still. "I haven't been here long, but I'm not staying here much longer."

She put her feet up, crossing them as her legs extended parallel to his in this tiny bed.

"You know, you're a great listener!" She smiled and reached into her bra again, pulling out a second, nicely rolled joint along with a plain blue lighter. Putting it to her lips she took drag as the herb ignited, slowly releasing the smooth cloud of smoke. She tilted her head down to him again.

"I'd pass it but..." She nodded toward his bandaged hands. "Maybe later...It's pretty mellow. Smooth taste. Not the best, but who am I to get picky?"

Minutes later, the blunt was at its last hits. Her foot had picked up a rhythm, tapping against the end of the bed post in the same beat as the beeping from the monitor. He was still limp, lying completely still next to her. A thin cloud of smoke floated around them. The pattern on the ceiling began to move slightly as she got higher, swerving into different shapes and sizes. She smiled, taking the final hit. Opening her mouth slightly, the smoke seeped from her lips before getting sucked back into her lungs. Her fingers clicked together, flicking the remains of a finished joint. She licked her lips and sat up, fixing her hair as she looked down at her silent companion.

"It's been fun...I should probably go before those dick guards come back in." She slid off the side, dusting off her jumpsuit. Her hands moved to the bed to do the same, then over his body where small hints of ashes were visible against the bright orange. Even through his bandages she could feel the defined muscles. She smirked, raising a brow at him. "Wow. Yeah, we're definitely meeting when you wake up."

She stuffed the lighter back in her bra. "Get better soon, okay?"

With that, she headed toward the metal doors - looking back at him one last time as she pushed them open. She bumped into something as she entered the hall. A large man grabbed her by the neck, swinging her further out.

"Holy shit!" He slammed her against the wall, the guards hands frisking her torso and legs. He was heavy, black and always seemed to breathe with his mouth open. He was also a sucker. "What the hell is your problem?! Get your hands offa me!" She twisted her body, away from his grasp.

He looked at her, attempting to be menacing...though he was out of breath, panting between every few words. He grabbed her by the wrist. "What were you doing in there?"

"Hey asshole, can't you see I'm fucking hurt?!" Again, she freed herself from his bloated fingers. Twisting her neck up, she showed him the wound. The bandage was bright red from her blood. "I was _trying_ to find somebody to fucking come help me, since I wasn't feeling too good! Now look what you fucking did to me!"

She rubbed her neck, purposely getting the blood over her hands to make it seem like more. The guard's eyes widened, his jaw dropping. Even with his dark complexion she could tell he was getting pale. He hated blood. She knew that from seeing him handle one of the fights last week. He stuttered as he spoke.

"Oh...oh, shit...Oh shit. Okay, okay, I'm sorry! I'm sorry, here!" He extended his hand to hers, trying to help. She yanked her arms away.

"Don't touch me!"

A guard entered the hallway. Seeing the scene, her ran in their direction. "Holy shit, Geralds! What did you do to her?!"

"N-nothing, she was in the room with the com-"

He ignored him. "You feeling okay, miss?"

"Not really..." Shaundi shook her head slightly. Her high aided her, making her seem ill even without trying.

"Come with me, I'll take you to see a nurse..." He held Shaundi's shoulders to lead her down the hallway. He turned back to Geralds. His voice had a deep tone to it. "We'll talk about this later..."

Shaundi looked back too, smiling at the fat guard - who stood still, trembling in front of the infirmary doors.


End file.
